Bond of Steel
by Answerthecall
Summary: The Autobots have many human allies, of different ages and backgrounds. But for a few young humans, the Autobots are much more then just allies, they're family. DISCONTINUED.
1. Chapter 1

Since my first chapter, again, somehow got edited, not sure how as I haven't touched this fic for a while. I had to rewrite it. So sorry, not an update, still won't be one for a while, just a rewrite of the first chapter. :) Thank you Lunar Mist for informing me of this! Though it is STILL on Hiatus guys, probably is going to be that way for a while going by several factors. But it'll be back eventually.

...

**CHAPTER 1**

"AND STAY OUT!"

Robert Andrew Mitchell knew that he'd be back, Jerry too often did this, slammed the door in his face, told him to get lost. But his Foster Father was too greedy to simply shove the door in his face and get rid of a Foster Son. The brown haired, green eyed boy growled a bit, kicking the door a bit. He wondered if that would get him back inside. Jerald Lion did little more then close the blinds, to which Robbie frowned a bit, he was stuck outside for the day, he guessed. Taking a deep breath, the boy moved from the home and carefully made his way down the sidewalk. A year with this man, how he had survived it, he didn't know.

He often wondered why it had happened to him, twice. First, loosing his parents, then, getting adopted in infancy, and raised by adoptive parents. Only for them to die too, unexpectedly, suddenly, without any sort of mercy involved whatsoever. Of course, when things couldn't have possibly gotten any worse, he'd been thrown with Jerry. Who hadn't even ever attempted to be nice, he was abusive, cold, and when not treating Robbie like crap, Robbie still had vivid memories of him coming home with a prostitute or two, sometimes three. Of course, he was all smiles and loving in front of the social workers, no one said he wasn't smart. But otherwise, he was anything else.

The boy sighed, the streets of Tranquility, California were unusually quiet that day. It was more or less unusual, at least, since the events of 2007. Let alone the events of Egypt. The latter having had the biggest effect on the city more then anywhere else. They were the hometown of the great hero, Sam Witwicky. A tourist attraction for being where the Autobots, whom they'd learned of soon after, had touched down for the first time. Robbie lived four streets down from the actual house, needless to say his Autobot Fanboy best friend, Alex, was more then jealous of that, as he had to pass it every day on the way to school.

That day however, there were no tourists, no cars on the streets, no real chaos. Robbie felt relieved by that, as there had been more then a few times where the excitement had been brought into the city. He'd never been stuck in the middle of it, but he had always feared what would happen if he did. Jerry would probably be pissed off that he didn't get himself killed in the battle, if he even survived. Of course, Robbie was quick to assume that there was no chaos that day, a little too quick to assume. The loud crash got his attention almost immediately, but he only turned his head seconds later. Three large, no massive, robots careened down the road, running from something, or someone, Robbie couldn't tell which it was exactly. All he knew was that he had to hide, going by the red glow of their optics.

Quickly, he rushed forward, hiding behind a car as the three, almost similarly built robots made a stop in the street. The Dreads were, by all accounts, very ugly, especially in Robbie's eyes. He watched them quietly as Hatchet sniffed the air, the Dread looked, and by all accounts, acted like an animal. Crankcase, their leader, turned as Hatchet seemed to talk to him. On careened his head towards Robbie's hiding spot, causing the boy's heart to nearly stop. He was only fourteen, he was too young to die, way too young to die. The sound of tires a fair distance off caused his eyes to shoot in the direction, only a moment. "We don't have time to guess as to whether or not he's close." He heard one of them speak, he felt himself roughly lifted off the ground "If we take a hostage, it won't matter." Hatchet noted.

"Hey! PUT ME DOWN!" Robbie shrieked, looking down and gulping at the height he was at.

He was dropped, though only as Hatchet crouched setting him in the middle of the three Dreads. Robbie gulped, he had always wanted to ditch school, but no teacher on the planet was likely to believe him if he told them that he'd been abducted by Decepticons. Crankcase bent low, and poked at Robbie, teasingly, coldly, his grin dark and sadistic. As Robbie tried to run, Crowbar made a movement to keep him surrounded, grinning wickedly upon the boy. "Lookie boys it's a little thing. I think we've found ourselves a new pet!" Crankcase chuckled, this caused Robbie's heart to sink, he could feel his breathing grow labored "Ole Ultra Magnus has a soft spot for kids. We take this one with us, no slagging way will he try a thing." He plucked Robbie up by the back of his neck carefully "State your name boy, or we will find it and put it on your OBITUARY." He noted.

"R-Robbie." The boy squeaked, horrified at this point.

Crankcase looked as though he was about to speak again when a blast collided with his back, knocking him to the ground and Robbie onto the ground. "Pick on someone your own size for a change Crankcase." A loud, booming, and angered voice broke from down the road, a large, red, and blue colored Autobot, stood "You three slagging morons must have something better to do then search the child populace for a pet." He growled.

Ultra Magnus was considerably smaller then his brother, Optimus Prime, yet he none-the-less very much resembled him. Needless to say, he appeared to have the same low-tolerance for the harming of humans as he did. It was for this reason that, after having seen Optimus on television several times, he had to do a double take for a moment. He tried to make a move to run, only to find chains wrapped around arms in a tight binding, held in the hands of Crowbar. "I dare you to take another blast, Ultra Magnus. You see, if you do, it won't end so well for the child." Crankcase nodded, Robbie's eyes were flooded with tears of fear "Stand down, and we will bring him back alive. Don't, and well... I'll feel him to Hatchet." He noted.

Robbie gulped a bit at the large animal-like Decepticon, who licked his chops slightly. That was just wonderful, pet or dinner, Robbie wasn't sure which he feared more. Though getting digested certainly sounded like the worse option. Magnus however, was smart, his thoughts immediately went to Robbie, he didn't know the boy, but the child had no place in their war. Magnus growled, and with strength Robbie had never before scene, leaped onto Crankcase with a single bound, kicking him straight in the face, and pinning him under his foot, poised to crush it underneath his wait. "Remove the leash, hand the boy over, and I'll let you leave with your DIGNITY." Magnus snarled.

With his optics, Crankcase nodded quickly, Magnus grinned, he kicked the mech into stasis lock. With a turn, he blasted both of the others back, right in the chest. Robbie felt the chains lift off, as Magnus turned his head towards the boy. "Kid! RUN!" He noted.

Robbie took off in an instant, taking cover behind another car. The battle was short lived, as the much larger, and stronger Magnus was able to easily take all three at once. A matter of minutes later, all three, including Crankcase, who had broken free of Stasis Lock, had high tailed him out of there. Magnus turned, and looked for the boy carefully, finding him hiding, he noticed that Robbie had a large, gaping, slice where the chains had been around either arm. "Hey, are you alright?" Magnus questioned as me moved down into a crouch, Robbie stared up, and nodded "You've been hurt, I don't know what their chains were made of, but I still ask you come with me. I know a medic that will know the extent of those chains and what they did to your arms." Robbie nodded a bit.

He was lifted by Magnus within moments, the mech knowing the boy was far too in shock right now to move. It was a good think he had been sent to handle this, as he and Optimus Prime were the only two that would know not to scare the kid any more then he already was. _"Ultra Magnus requesting Space Bridge to Diego Garcia, I have a hurt civilian in need of immediate examination. Energon link chain wrapped onto his arms, I presume, he's pretty badly hurt." _He noted.

He could only hope it was nothing serious.

...

Robbie sat on the medical berth quietly, having been helped at once. He'd been carefully stitched and cleaned up before the yellow-green mech known as Ratchet left to contact Jerry to inform him of the day's events. Magnus had stuck by him, feeling somewhat-responsible for his almost-abduction. Though Robbie insisted he didn't blame him at all. Robbie sighed as they sat there, and looked up at Magnus slightly. "So I take it you're Ultra Magnus?" Robbie questioned, having heard the name among the Dreads, the mech nodded affirmatively "It's um... Nice to meet you, I'm Robbie." He said, attempting to break the awkward silence.

"A pleasure." Magnus nodded, his optics falling upon Robbie, on the other bruises he had not from the day "I'm sorry I couldn't be there to prevent this sooner. I heard their plans to well, mess with a human. I didn't know any were out at the moment, so early in the morning." He tilted his head a bit, and Robbie nodded slightly in understanding "I am glad, that you are fine however." He then noted "I am tempted to ask what the other bruises dated too far back to be from today are from." He noted.

Robbie shifted a little at the awkward question, and stared at Magnus slightly. "I'm a klutz, I fall a lot of the time. I live in a small house, easy to trip. It sucks but it happens." Robbie rubbed his arm, knowing it was a blatant lie, but hoping it would be bought "So, I'm going to need a ride home, Jerry's probably... Worried. When can I leave?" Robbie questioned, curious as to this.

Magnus stood up from his seat, and carefully transformed down into a large semi truck. His passenger's side door opened, which Robbie gathered as being an 'Any Time' response to his obvious question. Robbie took a deep breath, and climbed in. They drove out of the Med Bay, and carefully drove down the outer area of the base, toward the waiting Space Bridge generator. Robbie sighed, and leaned against the seat, allowing Magnus to drive him as far as back where the spot he'd found him was. Before directing him towards the home he lived in. Not to his surprise, Jerry waited outside for him, feigning worry, Robbie simply rolled his eyes at the overacting.

"So... Thanks for the ride, and you know, saving me." Robbie bit his lip, as he climbed from the truck "Will I ever see you again? Or should I say it was nice meeting you?" He questioned.

Magnus seemed thoughtful for a moment, he felt something was off, but he couldn't tell what it was. Plus, for some reason, the boy intrigued him, how or why, he didn't know, but it was as if he felt that somehow, he was supposed to meet the boy. "You'll see me again, I am certain of that." Magnus noted as if reassuringly "The Dreads might be after you again, so, if anything, I will need to keep an eye on you." He noted.

Robbie watched the truck drive off and blinked, the thought intrigued him. Seeing the mech around more, because in all reality, he felt the same way. As though there was something more to meeting him then just saving his life. Though he also worried he was onto his lie, and because of that, that Jerry would soon have reason to go through with many threats he made. Yet, for some reason, he was willing to risk that, something told him as well that he was supposed to meet Magnus. Why and for what reason, he didn't entirely know in all reality.

It would not be long before he found out.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

It was several weeks after they met that Magnus began to visit Robbie regularly. Some days, he'd take patrol near his school specifically to keep an eye on him. Other times, he'd simply visit him. It wasn't that he was a stalker, or wanted to scare Robbie, it was that he was nervous for the boy's safety. Ratchet's tests he had done when Robbie had been at NEST Base had shown several bruises, ranging from hours to days before he and Robbie had encountered one-another. It bothered him, just as many human mysteries did. Robbie didn't seem to mind either, he seemed to have grown accustomed to the Semi Truck's presence. The Autobot many times had helped him with his homework, other times the two would simply relax and hang out. The only time he ever really didn't seem happy were at the end of those days when he would bring him home.

Magnus had many a time wanted to simply peek into the home, and see why. But each time, he believed that would be crossing boundaries. He after all, had to learn to not grow attached to every human child out there. It had happened before, and ended up being absolutely nothing. "Robbie the correct answer to number 7 in 4.32." Magnus commented as they sat in the grass one afternoon, Robbie was writing on his paper with his binder, Robbie looked up nervously "What?" He questioned.

"I agreed for you to be my tutor Magnus, but you can't do my homework. I need to learn some of this stuff on my own." Robbie looked over at the mech, smirking a bit, he shook his head "Jerry would hate to know I'm letting my Autobot friend technically 'cheat' for me." Robbie looked thoughtfully for a moment, then sighed "Then again he doesn't even know I'm spending most of my time after school with an Autobot so who cares?" He admitted.

"Why do you call him Jerry?"

"Because he's not really my Dad. He's just someone who takes care of me for a paycheck." Robbie commented to Magnus, he crossed his arms a bit "Fostering's like a job for some people, he feeds me, clothes me, gives me a bed. And in return he gets a butt-load of cash for it." He groaned a bit, shaking his head "It's not like adoption where they're your actual kid. Man I'd swear we went over this." He commented.

"We have, but your ways continue to puzzle me." Magnus admitted, staring down at his young human friend quizzically "With my kind when we take in a sparkling their is emotional investment involved. We 'adopt' them as you put it right away. Yet your kind does this 'fostering' business where none is required." Magnus rambled slightly, but caught himself before he rambled on too far "Can none of these people adopt you? I mean if they chose to." He questioned.

Robbie closed his eyes tightly the very thought of Jerry adopting him was a haunting one. The thought of knowing there was no escape from the cold monster he lived with. He felt Magnus gently rubbing the side of his arm, tenderly as he tensed. The touch of his metal fingers was quite soothing, it was even nicer when Magnus would once in a while put on his human hologram and do so. Robbie sighed a bit, leaning against the mech's leg, he stared up at him. "If you love the kid, yeah, you can try and adopt them. But Jerry, trust me, doesn't." Robbie thought quickly then, only speaking when he felt confident in his lie "He likes me, but not enough to adopt me basically. It's not that big a deal." He told the mech calmly.

"Do you not wish to be adopted by Jerry? To live somewhere permanently?"

"The latter yeah, but I'd rather it be with someone who loves me." Robbie shrugged his shoulders, looking up at Magnus "You need to understand Magnus, being adopted doesn't mean you're automatically happy. You could be adopted and still have horrible people for parents." He shook his head slightly, biting his lip "Listen can we um not talk about this, it's a difficult subject, and no offense. But I'm uncomfortable having it with you." He commented.

This was what concerned Magnus the most, how Robbie seemed to speak of these things. He would talk to him about everything but adoption, being happy, as if Robbie somehow believed he didn't deserve to be happy. "Robert..." He commented lowly, Robbie turned his head to Magnus "Is there something about Jerry that you're not telling me? I have asked this question on eighteen separate occasions. No matter how many times you tell me 'no' your actions when we speak of him worry me." He commented, staring the boy in the eyes as best as he could "If this man was doing harm to you, or anything of the like, you know you could come to me, right?" He commented.

"Even if he was, and he isn't." Robbie lied, looking at the mech calmly "You couldn't do much about it without kidnapping me, and I don't think Prime would be too happy with you." He looked down a bit, then back at Magnus who turned his optics away "It's better you stop worrying about my Foster Dad and worry about the war. Or about giving me the rest of the answers so that we can actually hang out." He commented, chuckling a little.

Magnus chuckled evenly at his young friend, and his sudden change of opinion on his 'help'. Magnus with one gentle finger, belittling his strength rubbed the boys head affectionately. It may have been what humans did with puppies. But doing anything more risked hurting the human he was becoming more fond of by the day. His optics shuttered for a moment, thinking to himself, of many things, but mostly of how easily this boy had gotten to him. A part of him had always wondered of taking Robbie in himself, however, the ramifications were a great many. He'd be in constant danger, have to live on a Military base, and accept he would not be around consantly.

A part of him wanted this boy for his own sparkling, even yearned for it. But another part of him could never do that to a child. "Magnus, are you okay?" Magnus stared down at the boy calmly, he looked concerned "You look distracted, I'm not boring you right?" He questioned.

Magnus continued to rub the boys head and shook his head a bit. Finally removing his finger, he sighed a bit, leaning back, he looked down at Robbie calmly. Even if he couldn't likely, and never would likely, make him a part of his family, he still could keep watch over and protect him. "Nothing youngling, I was simply thinking." Magnus straightened a bit as he noticed the sun slowly setting in the far distance "It's getting late now, won't Jerry expect you home around this time?" He questioned.

"Do I have to go home right now?" Robbie questioned, looking up at Magnus.

"I need to get to work, around now is the time we might be starting to be deployed overseas." Magnus replied, quietly, leaving Robbie always made him feel terrible "But listen, if you and your friend Alex have free time Sunday. I do believe we can spend my erm... Day off as you humans put it together." He commented smirking "I think Alex seemed to enjoy the last time you introduced the two of us." He added.

"Sounds good." Robbie smiled nervously "Can I get a ride home Magnus? I hate walking home when it's dark." He commented.

Magnus smiled, transforming into his big rig form, he opened the passengers side door, allowing Robbie a few moments to climb in. Robbie felt the heat go on, and the seat belts go over him calmly. The drive was spent in silence until Magnus finally came upon the small suburban home. This time, the door locked, Robbie, confused, looked at the dashboard. "Magnus? What gives?" He questioned.

"Your Foster Father just smacked a woman. And then called her a-." Magnus stopped short of saying the filthy word the moment he realized what it meant "Robert, has this man ever done the same to you?" He questioned, it didn't take much for the robot to put two-and-two together.

"Magnus, please don't do this right now."

"Robert, answer my question." Magnus's tone was firm, anger was laden in his voice, but not at Robert who sunk back in his seat "Robert, HAS HE HIT YOU!" He questioned, his silence was the only answer he needed "How often... How often has this man ABUSED you?" He questioned.

"Every time he's not taking it out on someone else."

Words could not explain how Magnus felt at that very moment, not only was this man in his bedroom with a hooker. But he had been hitting a child who had been entrusted into his care, who he was being payed to take care of. Had Magnus not been a normally calm mech, he would have blasted the home to smithereens, and taken off with Robbie in toe. Human laws be dammed, he was not leaving a child with this man. "Will he attempt to attack you if you go inside? Simply to get what things you need?" Magnus questioned in a very deadpan tone, trying to keep his cool demeanor.

"Magnus, you can't kidnap me."

"Oh really? Watch them stop me." Magnus threw the passengers side door open unbuckling Robbie "Get your things, Robert. If you're not out within fifteen minutes, whether he's after you or you're refusing to come I will come in after you." His voice became more soft now, comforting "Robbie, he will not touch you. If he even tries, just scream for me." He commented.

Robbie was quick to climb out nervously, the door closed behind him. Robbie turned his head towards Magnus, taking one deep breath, he rushed into his home. Fumbling with the keys, he closed the door quietly. The home was dark, cluttered, and messy as always. It smelled of a mixture of tobacco and alcohol in one rather rancid smell that left a bitter taste in ones mouth. He moved into his room near the den, quickly pulling his backpack off his shoulder. He grabbed a picture of himself and his parents, some clothing, his cell phone, and a pocketknife that had once belonged to his Father. He had zipped it all up when the door came FLYING open and his Foster Father, Jerry came in.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, leaving." Robbie made a move to get around Jerry, who had the foul stench of liquor hanging over him "Have a nice life asshole."

Jerry clearly didn't like that, considering within moments, he had a firm hold of Robbie's neck. Pushing him forward into the wall, his eyes glaring right into Robbie's fear filled ones. Robbie didn't even need to scream out either, before the man was literally thrown across the room. Magnus's holoform stood as six foot tall human, with brown hair, and piercing blue eyes. His eyes were so filled with anger that one would say they were actually _glowing_. "If I see you near the child again, you had better pray that your 'God' has mercy on you. Because I will show NONE." He commented, flatly.

Jerry seemed to stunned that Magnus had appeared out of nowhere to even protest. As Magnus took hold of Robbie's shoulder and began to lead him out, he would swear the man had wet himself. The mech smiled, hoping he was that afraid of him, because if he didn't listen he would make good of his threat. He led Robbie out calmly, helping him into the truck calmly. It closed behind him, and Robbie would swear the seatbelts that went over him were in a tight hug. "He didn't hurt you beyond that, did he?" Magnus questioned.

"No."

"Good, now listen here Robbie, if you ever lie to me like that again..." Magnus thought for a moment "Just don't lie to me again, alright? I care about you, if I had known this sooner I could have taken you out of this situation legally." Magnus sighed a bit, his holoform looked Robbie right in the eyes "Don't worry though kid, Prime will give you asylum. We don't know you that well... But he would never leave a sparkling in the hands of an abusive caretaker." Noticing uneasiness in Robbie's eyes, he quietly added "I swear you will NEVER go back to that home again."

As he drove into the night, for the Space Bridge that would bring him home, Magnus inwardly cursed. And wondered what exactly he was about to get himself into.

...

And here's where the real brunt of the story begins. :) Hope the first two chapters were good!


	3. Chapter 3

Wow, thanks so much for all the reviews, favs, and alerts. :) I'm glad it's so well-liked.

...

**CHAPTER 3**

Magnus sighed a bit, he had a massive processor ache, to put it lightly. The night that he had brought Robbie to NEST had been easy, he had told Optimus the situation, and he had agreed with his decision. Even many of the NEST Members had, telling Magnus they would have done the same thing. Of course, the problem came not with a question of what was right, but was the species barrier. Magnus wanted Robbie to live with him, and while none of the Autobots and most of NEST found nothing wrong with it, the Government didn't like the sound of it one bit. Theodore Galloway, to no one's surprise, had vocally said that a robot not only adopting, but raising a human would be an abomination. While he had been written off, other officials had told Magnus that it required more then feeding and clothing him, he'd need a ride through the Space Bridge, to and from school. That he could handle, of course.

However, Magnus had practically had a spark attack when they brought up the cost of 'College'. Which Robbie, being a Freshman would be attending within the next three or four years, give or take. Many colleges cost much more then Magnus had in credits, let alone human money. While the government could provide that, there was also the issue of proving to Social Services he could provide a stable home. And while he was certain he would have a stable, loving home with him, Magnus was worried this 'Social Services' would not see that at all. Not to mention he'd have to appear at school on occasion, help him with his homework more frequently, provide love and comfort.

There was _much_ more to parenting then Magnus had expected. And the more he thought about it, the more overwhelmed he was slowly becoming. His optics turned as Robbie and William Lennox, whom had agreed to show him around while all of this was discussed, made their way back towards the communications hangar. Optimus Prime, tall, broad shouldered, and easily bigger then Magnus nearly made Robbie fall on his butt in his presence. "Holy shit. I didn't think it was possible for an Autobot to be bigger then you Magnus." He commented, blinking.

"Yeah well, he's my older brother. Give me a few vorns, I'll catch up." Magnus forced a small smirk to his faceplate despite it all at the boy's comment "Robbie, I'd like you to meet Optimus Prime, our leader." He commented.

Optimus bent down slowly, smiling at the boy with faceplate retracted, attempting as best as he could to not look intimidating. Robbie still however, seemed to back up a bit, nervously. To the point where Will quietly laughed about it. "It's a pleasure to meet you Robert. I have heard much from both Magnus, and Ratchet about you." He commented, smirking a bit "I heard you gave Ratchet a bit of a hard time in the Med Bay." He added.

"Is he the one that almost hit me with a wrench?"

Optimus chuckled at the young human slightly amused he stood slowly, staring his younger brother in the optics. Then nodding at him, Magnus turned his attention back to Robbie, wincing a bit. "Well, the good news is, we convinced them to let us keep you here." He sighed, rubbing his foreplate "Bad news is we'll have to be going through the same steps we would if I were human. Being we're not the same species it won't be easy." He commented.

"We should just send me back into the system now then." Robbie shook his head slightly, watching as Magnus bent down, looking him in the eye, determined "Alright, alright big guy, I get it that's not an option." He crossed his arms slightly "How do you plan to get them to let you adopt me? I mean seriously Magnus, this isn't easy, you have to prove a lot of stuff." He shook his head "And then after the adoption-." He comment.

"Relax kid." Will put his hand on Robbie's shoulder "Optimus has a lot of friends in the government. You're not going back to that guy without a fight." He looked at Optimus, who nodded simply.

"He is right, you are safe here, you may relax. Even if it is not Magnus who ultimately gets 'custody' as you humans put it." Optimus commented, looking down at him calmly "We will see to it that this 'Jerry' who has been hurting you will not be who you are going to." He commented calmly, crossing his arms "For now, however, we ask that you keep what is taking place here a secret. If Decepticons in Tranquility gained knowledge of this, you would be in grave danger." He added, calmly "Do you understand, Robert?" He questioned.

Robbie took a moment to take this all in, but his eyes went up towards the Autobot leader. He nodded his head slowly, doing his best to understand what the man who may have been his future 'Uncle' was telling him. "Yes sir, I understand. Magnus has told me about the Decepticons. I'm not surprised that I need to keep a low profile at all." Robbie replied, sighing in relief "But I really don't have to go back right? I don't have to-." He began to question.

"I keep to my word Robert."

Robbie took a deep breath calmly, relieved that his comments were true. The last thing he needed was to be dragged away, back to that home again. He would do anything to stay as far away from there as possible, whether he was with Magnus, or anywhere else. Robbie nodded his head slightly, looking up at Optimus slightly. "Please Optimus, call me Robbie. I hate my full first name. It's kinda erm... Yeah, just call me Robbie." Robbie chuckled lightly, looking at Optimus he put his hands in his pockets and nodded a bit "And thank you, for your help." He commented.

"You are very welcome." Optimus replied.

"Hey Robbie, you want to see the Rec Room?" Will questioned, figuring the two Autobots may need some time to talk things over "I think you're going to like it, for a teenager like you, it's practically a paradise." Robbie looked at Will, nodding slightly he smiled and allowed the Army Major to lead him away.

Magnus calmly turned his head towards his older brother calmly, expecting Optimus to say something. The Autobot however, didn't speak, but instead seemed deep in thought. With Optimus one could never tell if this were a good or bad thing, but Magnus knew him better then anyone. "So, what do you think of him Prime?" Magnus questioned his brother, speaking calmly "Do you think he's worth the custody battle we both know is coming?" He questioned.

Optimus smiled, recognizing his brother's nervousness, he smiled at him, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. "I think you have an excellent choice of sparkling brother. And that Robbie is very lucky to have found you." Optimus commented with a sigh, putting his hands on his hips after a while "I hope you do, however, understand that this is not an easy task. Raising a child not of your own race will not be without its difficulties." He added.

"I'm well aware I considered this fact all night." Magnus commented, shaking his head slightly "But slag that kid grew on me this past month. I haven't found a sparkmate, and I'm not getting any younger Prime, we both know that." He sighed a bit, shaking his head "Without any sparklings left living, Robbie may be the only chance I have. I've wanted a sparkling for a while Prime, even if it will be difficult, I'll figure out a way to make it work." He commented.

Even as the words escaped Magnus's lips, the mech knew it was much easier said then done. Making him uncertain of just how true to his word he would be.

...

Robbie had only been to NEST twice, the second time being the night before, but nothing could have prepared him for how huge it was. It was at least the size of his small town of Tranquility, California if not twice the size of it. There were a few teenagers other then him on base, with Will explaining some families lived on base. Though he made it a point to point out, when Robbie asked that he was the only human in Legal Guardianship of an Autobot. Though regardless, he added, the Autobots had made friends with humans of practically all ages on the NEST Base. "I feel like I don't deserve this." Robbie commented as they made their way into the large Rec Room "I mean really, I'd feel more comfortable if there were other kids living with the 'bots." He muttered.

"You must be something special to Magnus." Will commented, shaking his head a bit, he looked at Robbie "Trust me, these guys would take a lot of kids in if they could. But obviously that would not sit well with the government. You're just the first kid one has really _done_ something about." He shook his head a bit "Don't worry too much about it though, we're all practically family here. You could just be a civilian on a Visitor's pass for all we cared." He admitted.

Robbie sighed a bit, partially wondering how serious Will was with his statement. He had enjoyed his company thus-far, he was friendly, nice, and talkative. But at the same time, it was a stark contrast to Robbie's relatively shy and reserved nature. It overwhelmed him that Will had been so willing to show a kid around the base. "So, what's the story with you and Magnus? I mean I know you've spent time together." Will stared at Robbie "But have you started to look at him as a Dad, or did he kinda throw this on you?" He questioned.

Robbie froze in his tracks, that was a very good question. There were many times that Robbie looked up to Magnus like a Father. He reminded him so much of the Father he lost years ago when his parents died. He was kind, gentle, a stern voice of reason, and more then anything he seemed to care about him a great deal. But at the same time, all that had happened last night had been so sudden, it had caught him off-guard. "I don't know, I guess a little of both, I mean I think he cares about me. But last night... That was freaky." Robbie shook his head slightly, putting his hands in his pockets "This whole thing is going to take getting used to." He admitted.

"Don't feel bad, I understand where you're coming from." Will smiled, putting an arm around the young man in a friendly gesture "But I don't think you have much to worry about." He added, then nodded forward before removing his arm "Now come on, I'm going to show you the teens area of the Rec Room. Then I need to get to work." He told Robbie calmly.

As Will began to move on ahead Robbie stayed stationary for a few moments, wondering quietly to himself. Just as Magnus had wondered, what he had just been pulled into. Was this what he really wanted? Or did he simply want to believe that it was what he wanted because it was what Magnus wanted? He pushed the thoughts to the back of his head, it was a stupid thing to ask. If he didn't want to be with Magnus, if he didn't want to live in his care, he would have voiced it. He wouldn't let nerves, the government, or anything else tell him anything otherwise. Smiling a bit, he quickly jogged off after Will, choosing to think no more on the subject.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Robbie quickly found life on the base to be nowhere near as easy as he hoped it would be. Magnus seemed to struggle in some aspects of being his legal guardian, and in others he seemed to be a natural. It wasn't easy to get used to for Robbie either, there were times where Magnus came off as too protective. Even going as far as to give Robbie a com that he was required to have on him at all times, just to be safe. Though Robbie didn't mind it most days, there were some days that he wanted to smack Magnus. But he held himself back each time, knowing the giant robot was still both learning human ways as well as learning how to be a parent. Optimus was there to help take care of him when he could as well, being his future 'Uncle' and knowing a bit more about parenting from someone he had raised called 'Bumblebee', Optimus was largely helpful.

Being in Magnus's care, however, was certainly starting to bring Robbie out of his shell. When time permitted it, Robbie often hung out at Alex's place after school, the first time he had done so in over two years. Magnus went under the guise of his new Foster Parent, whereas Alex knew the truth, his parents were left in the dark. Robbie knew it was for his own safety, but he also felt terrible for lying to Alex's parents, who had been his parents close friends, like he did. "So, this military base that you can't tell me about." Robbie turned his head, they were in Alex's room, watching a cartoon when Alex uttered the sentence "Does it seriously have a swimming pool the size of a football field?" He questioned.

"Yes Alex, they do. Geez, every time I come over are you going to have a new round of twenty questions with me?" Robbie questioned, teasingly to his best friend, chuckling a bit, he shook his head "Once Magnus has me in his custody forever, I think he'll let me invite you on base. You know, once we can let the secret out." He shook his head "But right now that's too dangerous, he's my only legal guardian, and the 'cons could tamper with records... And... Yeah it's a long story." He admitted.

"Yeah about that, seriously, are you sure it's a good idea to live in the care of someone that couch squish you?" Alex crossed his arms a bit, staring at Robbie who looked back at him quizzically "What? Come on man, to him you're the size of his, what? Ankle?" He sighed a bit "I mean, yeah, he has that human form. But are you never afraid he'll like, step on you by accident?" He questioned jestingly.

Robbie sat back in the bean bag chair he was relaxing in and crossed his arms slightly. He had never thought of that, but at the same time Robbie had never been afraid of that. Magnus was incredibly careful with Robbie when around him in robot mode. The mech was that way around any humans, but he seemed even moreso when he was around. Oftentimes when he was with Magnus it was either in the palm of his hand or on his shoulder to ensure his safety. "Magnus is protective of me I doubt he'd ever let that happen to me, trust me." Robbie chuckled, he looked at Alex slightly who seemed surprised "Oh come on, you can't be too shocked man. You heard the story." He added.

"Yeah, yeah, loving giant robot Daddy."

"I would go as far as _loving _Alex, he's known me barely a month." Robbie replied, looking away, as much as he wanted it to be that, he could not be positive yet "I'd say caring robot guardian is a better term at this point." He sighed a bit, looking down, then back at Alex calmly "I'm not even sure they're capable of the same 'love' we have if that makes any sense. I mean, I think we have different concepts of it then we do." He said honestly.

"Not sure I follow dude." Alex replied, Robbie rolled his eyes slightly "What? I don't spend every day with these guys."

"Love to them is like a lifetime commitment I think. Like, it can't change, you can't be uncertain of it. You have to be sure you love the person, or to them it isn't love." Robbie shook his head, it was difficult to explain, he didn't fully understand it himself "I don't think Magnus is ready for that commitment to me, not yet. I think he's still trying to figure out if he's capable of taking care of me or not." He sighed a bit, looking at Alex "Now do you get it?" He questioned.

"No."

"Neither do I really, but that's how I understand it works for them." Robbie shrugged his shoulders a bit.

"Robbie, Aaron is here!"

Robbie's head turned at the mention of Magnus's chosen human name. Sighing as he lifted himself off the beanbag chair a bit, he stared at Alex. "I'll see you on Monday man, alright?" He questioned, Alex nodded in response, Robbie walking out of the room calmly.

...

It was later that night when Robbie was getting ready for bed that the nagging issue of 'love' began to eat at him once more. Was that what this was really about? Did Magnus love him like a son? His eyes went to the mirror in the shared bathroom on base as he capped his toothpaste. Storing it in a cabinet marked "ROBERT BROOKS", he sighed a bit, heading out of the bathroom. Magnus's holoform stood, leaning against the wall, staring at Robbie calmly. "Robert, what's the matter? You've been tense since you returned home." He commented, staring at him calmly.

"It's nothing Magnus, don't worry about it, okay?" Robbie bit his lip, then staring at Magnus sighed "Something Alex and I talked about just got me thinking... Why'd you take me in?" Magnus seemed very stunned by the question "I mean what really caused you to risk getting in trouble with the government... Over a kid like _me_?" He questioned.

Magnus stared at the boy carefully, it was a difficult question to answer. Though he had begun, recently wondering on the fact if he loved Robbie like a son. Of course, the answer was simple, it was yes. However a part of him remained the hardened warrior who found his love for a single being hard to grasp. It was also something he wasn't sure Robbie was ready to hear from him this early. "Robert, it is a difficult question for me to answer... Especially since I have never felt the way I do about you before." He looked at Robbie carefully, sighing a bit "If you are questioning whether I love you as my own or not. As I would figure you are after our many conversations on Cybertronian-Child interactions..." He sighed a bit, looking at him "Then yes Robert, I see you as every bit the son I've wanted since I was young." He added.

Robbie took a deep breath, this was a lot to take in, a great deal to take in. "I've been told that before, how do I know you're serious?" Robbie questioned.

Magnus smiled a bit, looking down at his young charge, he looked quite thoughtful. Finally crouching to the boy's height a bit more he smiled at Robbie. "Robbie, I have told you before, love with us, when we chose to adopt someone is an emotional investment. That is because we form a bond, for those we are to 'marry' it is a Sparkmate's bond. With our 'biological' children a creation bond." Magnus smiled a bit, running his left hand through the boy's hair "When we find a child whom we have come to love as our own. We form an artificial bond. Which is nearly as strong as a creation bond." He shook his head slightly "The night I brought you here, after taking you from that home, an artificial bond kicked in. Which is why I am so protective of you." He commented quietly.

"What does a bond exactly... Do?" Robbie questioned, tilting his head.

"A bond, youngling, means that I can feel your every emotion. That, my spark has in a way, adopted your heart." Magnus stood straight, pointing towards Robbie's chest gently "What it means, Robbie, is no matter what Social Services says... I consider you my son, my family." He shook his head "And a bond can never be broken, even if you're separated from my care. My spark will always be connected to you." He smiled gently.

Robbie wasn't sure how to take what he had just heard Magnus tell him. He didn't know whether to hug him or say something, it was a lot to take in. That Magnus had let himself, let his spark make such a commitment with him was a lot to take in. He carefully decided to wrap his arms around the holoform, allowing Magnus to hug him back in a tight bear hug. "Now, listen runt." Magnus teased the boy lightly "You need to get to bed, and I need to get to my post or you Uncle Prime is going to have my hide." He jested.

"He's not my uncle yet." Robbie corrected him.

"He will be in a few months kiddo, just like I'll be your Dad." Magnus smiled at him slightly, as if not fully confident of his own words "Now come on I really need to check up on the security on your room and get to my post. I'm already late." He commented.

The two made their way to a room just down the hall among the barracks many soldiers had. They had set up a small room, undecorated until everything was finalized, just for Robbie. So that he would feel more at home. There was a large, comfy bed found in most barracks on base, a desk, computer, and a large bookcase. Nothing special, but enough that Robbie did feel at home, sighing as he climbed under the covers. Robbie was surprised as Magnus moved to pull the covers over him. Sitting on the side of the bed, he looked down at Robbie for a moment. "You have nothing to worry about Robbie, so relax, alright?" He stared the boy in the eyes carefully, his mouth curving into a smile "I don't want to be up all lunar cycle worried about you." He stood slightly, moving to the edge of the room, he pressed a few buttons, activating the alarms set up in his room.

"They'll turn off with my alarm clock again, right?" Robbie questioned.

"Yep, I'll see you in the morning Robbie, recharge well." Magnus nodded as his holoform fizzled out.

Robbie laid in his bed, sighing a bit, he stared at the roof of the room quietly, deep in thought. For the first time since he had been brought to NEST by Magnus, he felt no fear for being wanted, but rather knew he was. Slowly, he closed his eyes and let himself fall asleep with his new found confidence in toe.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

"Robbie turn the mindless dribble off."

Robbie turned his head from the teen drama he had been watching towards Magnus's robot form with a glare. Magnus was quite sure he had never seen Robbie have this look on his face, yet he still didn't understand. Between the signing and the drama, Magnus was regretting allowing Robbie to buy the sixth season of what he called 'Glee'. It wasn't bad, he would admit, he had enjoyed the first six episodes, but Robbie simply kept watching and watching to the point where it was getting annoying. "Gossip Girl is mindless dribble, Glee is one of the best shows ever." He said honestly.

"I understood the first six episodes, but honestly. I don't see ANY humans breaking into song and dance."

"It's a Glee Club, Magnus, you know that thing I'm in?" Robbie pointed towards the screen slightly "We do this stuff in our choir room all the time. And you want to go to our 'shows' right?" Magnus looked uncertainly at him "Come on Magnus, you're not going to support what I like to do, really?" He asked, concerned for a moment.

"No! No! Not what I meant." Magnus quickly realized what his facial expressions had implied "Of course I'll support you in anything you do Robbie. I'm just surprised you humans would gather to do such a thing. At least in public." He commented.

Robbie sighed a bit, rubbing his forehead, these were the days where teaching Magnus these things got annoying. He didn't mind it usually, but him being so new to Earth, there were days where most of it was spent explaining Earth customs. However, Magnus put up with many of his questions, and he figured he should do the same for him. Crossing his arms a little he looked at Magnus, his head leaning on his side. "Because it's fun, some people have natural singing talents. Some just like to sing. I'm kinda the latter." Robbie commented, honestly, he shook his head "I'm not the best, not the worst, I just like to sing." He admitted.

Magnus nodded in understanding, getting where Robbie was at least somewhat coming from. He sighed a bit, moving his finger outward, he carefully ran it down Robbie's spine in a affectionate gesture. "Well I will certainly look forward to seeing you 'perform'." Magnus admitted carefully "However I think I've had more then enough Glee then I can handle. It's my day off, can we not find something else to do?" He questioned Robbie calmly.

Robbie groaned a bit, but reluctantly stopped the tape calmly. Looking up at the giant robot, who still was rubbing him soothingly, allowing the mech to do so. Ever since Magnus had admitted to loving him like a son, these types of things were no longer awkward to Robbie. He hadn't managed to return the favor by telling Magnus he loved him too, but that would take time. He was positive he loved the mech like a Father, but he had not said the words in so long, it made him nervous to say them. "My affectionate gestures are making your heart beat harder." Magnus noticed "Should I stop?" He questioned.

"No Magnus, that means I'm happy. I haven't had someone do this in a long time." Robbie commented, looking up at him "Geez, I thought you'd know that at least Da-." Robbie stopped just a letter away of the 'D' word, the word he had been avoiding for the last few weeks.

Magnus knew what Robbie had nearly said to him, he had nearly called him 'Dad'. The equivalence to what a Cybertronian would say to their parent, which was 'Father' or 'Creator'. Smiling a bit, and scooping the boy into his hand, Magnus brought Robbie optic level. "Robert, you may call me Dad if you so wish." He smiled, shaking his head "Don't feel fear in calling me what I know you consider me to be." He smiled a bit, gently setting Robbie back down "I already have called you 'son' on many an occasion." He added.

Robbie stared at the mech calmly, unsure if he himself was ready to call Magnus by the title. He knew Magnus wouldn't mind either way, but a part of him felt terrible about his uncertainty. Sighing a bit, and shifting on the ground, he looked at Magnus a little bit nervously. "Hey Magnus?" The mech nodded in acknowledgment "There's something that's been bugging me ever since you brought me here. Why are you so weary of the Decepticons and them finding out about me?" He questioned.

Magnus felt his spark fall, it was the one question he wished Robbie had never asked. He would like it better if he believed that Optimus would be his only Uncle after his adoption. But of course, him finding out about Optimus and his brother, Megatron would be unavoidable. Magnus leaned back, staring down at Robbie calmly. "Optimus and I have another brother. His name is Megatron." Robbie's eyes widened at Magnus's comment, the mech sighed "You have no doubt heard his name before, he leads the Decepticons, and hates us both." His optics grew sad "If he found out I was trying to adopt you. He'd do everything in his power to get a hold of you. To strike a blow at both Optimus and I by taking someone we consider 'family'. If he does it while you're not officially mine yet." He shook his head "Primus knows how much that would hurt our chances." He added.

"Megatron would take me just to attack both of you?" Robbie stared at Magnus in surprise, the mech only nodded his head "Why? I'm not officially family to either of you yet. Even if we have that bond thing going on, I don't have it with Optimus." Robbie commented, shaking his head "He'd only be striking a blow to you." He commented.

Magnus stared at Robbie with surprise, as if stunned at his reaction. Did Robbie truly not think that just because it wasn't official that Optimus, of all mechs, would not care? He'd have cared if it was any youngling, or human of any age that he knew. Magnus took a deep, labored breath, staring at Robbie. "Your Uncle Optimus is a brave and caring spark. Regardless of who you are, he knows you, you know him. He'd give his life regardless of your relation to him." He shook his head slightly "He is the most selfless mech I know, Robert. Children being his greatest weakness." He added, sighing "If Megatron took any child hostage, he would easily have him cornered." He admitted "Megatron would waste no time using a child who may soon be in his family to his utmost advantage." He added.

Robbie listened intently to every word Magnus uttered, dumbfounded at what Magnus had to say about both of his brothers. The thought of someone doing what Megatron might very well do if he found out about him was a disturbing one. If only with the knowledge of what he might do to him to draw both Magnus and Optimus to do whatever he may wish. "I think I finally get this now." Robbie commented, standing to his feet and staring at Magnus "But don't worry, Alex is the only one who knows. And only because he caught you that one day." He smiled "I think we'll be A-okay." He added.

Magnus only smiled and patted the boy on the back lightly. He was not quite as confident as Robbie was, but it was one of the few flaws he had. He had a nervous outlook on seemingly dire situations he sometimes couldn't help. He tried his best to downplay this around Robbie, but sometimes failed to. "Let's not even think about that Robert, it makes me nervous." He admitted smirking down at the boy, he added "So how was last weeks math test?" He questioned.

"What math test?"

"Ohhhh you think just because I'm new to this planet means I forgot the test I was tutoring you for?" Magnus chuckled, poking Robbie playfully, the boy chuckled a bit "Come on son, out with it, I want to know how well you did. I can't help you like I've been trying to if I don't know how well you did." He said, being honest on the subject.

Robbie took a deep breath, nervously, he reached into his nearby backpack. Taking out a scantron, Magnus quickly activated his holoform, which took it, allowing him a better look at the small letters and numbers. Magnus actually managed a smile after looking up the letter grades meanings. A B- wasn't an A, but it was much better then the F Robbie had earned on his last test. To say Magnus was proud, as well as happy to have helped was likely an understatement. "Well done m'boy." He said simply, putting an arm around Robbie "This is very good, next time, let's see if we can study a bit more. Get it up to at least an A-." He encouraged calmly.

"You aren't pissed I didn't get an A?" Robbie asked meekly.

"Did Jerry get 'upset' when you didn't get anything but a perfect grade?" Magnus questioned the boy, understanding and even recognizing the fear in him. Robbie only nodded in response "Well I sure as pit won't be doing that, a B- is not a bad grade at all from what I have looked up." He ruffled the boy's hair a bit "I'm not going to raise my voice. Or more importantly, my hand, over you not being 'perfect'. I have news for you and that fragger, no one is." He commented.

Robbie's face went red a bit, embarrassed by the fact that Magnus was always so willing to encourage him. He wasn't used to it, but Magnus figured he would be in time, it would just take a while. He sighed a bit, stretching, and handing the paper back so that Robbie could place it in his backpack. Sighing a bit, Robbie stared up at Magnus calmly, his eyes meeting Magnus's optics. For the first time, Robbie was really starting to see Magnus as less of his guardian, and more of his parent. It was unexpected, as Robbie had often struggled with it, but in one simple conversation, Robbie's thoughts on his and Magnus's relationship had changed.

"So you really don't mind me calling you Dad?" Robbie questioned him, staring the holoform in the eyes now.

"I do not Robert, I don't see a reason I would oppose it." Magnus replied, calmly, taking a deep breath inward "In fact, I do believe I'd be happy if you were to do so." He added with a smile.

The smile that came over Robbie's lips was the first time Magnus had seen him with a full smile. He'd gotten several smiles, maybe even a small glimpse of a full one. But right now, Robbie stared at him with a smile of the first shine of real happiness he had shown since Magnus had met him. "Alright then, I guess as far as anyone's concerned then..." He commented hugging Magnus tightly "You're Dad from now on." He completed, rather carefully, choosing his words wisely.

Magnus breathed a sigh of relief, one of his holoforms arms wrapping around Robbie carefully, gently. Now, if he could convince social services to allow him to keep Robbie, he felt he could be more at peace with the situation. But even he realized that the hardest part of all of this was yet to come.


	6. Chapter 6

Wow, lots of favs for this story, glad so many people like it. :)

**CHAPTER 6**

Robbie sighed a bit as he crossed his arms, leaning against the interior of the Corvette he was riding in. Robbie, even with Magnus currently deployed on a mission could not understand why the mech thought he needed a babysitter. At fifteen, Robbie figured he could take care of himself, he had tried to tell this 'Sideswipe' that for an hour now. But apparently the mech wasn't the best listener, being he was still stuck being watched by the warrior. It wouldn't be as strange if he didn't know Sideswipe's reputation of being a goofy prankster. But apparently, as he had learned quickly, being a part of Prime's family, even if it was his extended family meant most Autobots kept a close eye on you when you were younger. Robbie didn't understand the logic in it, but imagined it might be because, as he had learned the Prime's were a form of Political as well as Military Leader. What that made him exactly was a good question he had yet to get an answer to.

"You know, the sooner you start trying to have fun, the sooner this is over." Robbie turned to look at the radio as it sprang to life, Sideswipe's voice coming from it "Come on kid, what do you like to do? Driving around Diego Garcia trying to decide can only last so long." He commented.

Robbie could tell that Sideswipe was equally as bored as he was. Maybe it was because of the reason Magnus left watching him up to Sideswipe, since apparently in mental capacity he was only a few years old then Robbie. Eighteen to be exact, if the young human had remembered correctly. He had likely figured that they'd get along better on account of this, or at the very least, he might get to know another Autobot a bit better. After all, he only really knew Optimus and Magnus, and to an extent Ratchet. Hell he didn't even know this Autobot they called 'Bumblebee', who given he was raised by Optimus may soon become his 'cousin'. Robbie sighed, leaning back against the seat slightly, he looked thoughtful. "I really have no ideas Sideswipe, what do you like to do? I'm kinda open to anything." He admitted.

"I think about ninety percent of the things I do, your Magnus and Prime would kill me for taking you along for." Sideswipe chucked nervously in response to Robbie's answer "I mean slag, I street race, I pull pranks on the older 'bots, and well... I do other things that I probably shouldn't tempt you with." He admitted, to which Robbie gave a slight laugh "Ah, so you _do _show more emotions then just boredom." Sideswipe jested to the young human slightly.

"Hey, are you calling me boring?" Robbie playfully smacked the dashboard a bit, rolling his eyes slightly, he crossed his arms "Do you at least do stuff like play video games, maybe? Or watch movies? Hell, we don't really have to even go off base to hang out." He commented slightly.

Sideswipe practically stopped the moment Robbie mentioned video games. The kid had to be kidding, did he even need to ask? Or was it more of a challenge? Considering Sideswipe had some of the highest scores on base when it came to most video games. His holoform appeared in the driver's side with a smirk, pushing his sunglasses down his feet, he grinned a bit. "You really wouldn't want to challenge me to a video game little man." He commented slyly at the young human "I wouldn't want to embarrass you or anything." He added.

"I don't think I'd be the one with that trouble Sideswipe." Robbie joked, looking at Sideswipe with his own sly grin "I bet I can beat your tin can aft with both hands tied behind my back." He added rather bluntly.

It wasn't long after Robbie had commented on this that Sideswipe got a grin that already made Robbie regret what he had just said. He knew that whatever he had just put in Sideswipe's head, it couldn't be good, scooting over slightly he looked at Sideswipe, who quickly began to drive.

...

"For the record, I didn't mean that literally."

Robbie glared at the large silver mech slightly, both of his wrist bound firmly behind his back. The Playstation 3 controller laying in front of him, Robbie's eye seemed to be twitching by this point. Sideswipe seemed to stare down at the young boy widely, teasingly. Of course, had the kid spent more time with the Autobots he would have most certainly have seen this coming. Taking one blade, he cut the young boy's wrists free sighing a bit, looking down at Robbie calmly. "Come on kid, I was only goofing around, lighten up a bit." Sideswipe teased Robbie calmly "Come on, I'll actually play you for real this time, alright?" He questioned.

Robbie grinned as he reached for the PS3 Controller, he practically jumped out of his skin at a loud _thud_. He had turned to ask Sideswipe if that had been him, however, it was obvious within moments that the answer was no. The large silver bot was on his wheeled feet, arms blade withdrawn. Robbie got to his feet himself within moments, his eyes staring around Sideswipe's leg. There was no one present at the doorway, but he hadn't expected there to be. Other then Sideswipe, the Autobots were all deployed, and communications was well on the other side of the base. It had only been two and a half hours, so even to Robbie this seemed a bit unusual.

"What the fuck was that?" Robbie questioned, staring up at Sideswipe.

Sideswipe's optics narrowed slightly, turning to Robbie he carefully held a hand out to keep him back. Grimacing slightly, he scanned the area calmly, for any sign of a heat signature. It only made him more nervous when he realized there was not a sign of movement. "I can't tell Robbie, but you need to stay here, alright?" Sideswipe questioned, turning his head "If something's wrong, the last thing we need is someone other then an Autobot finding you in _our_ rec area." He added.

Sideswipe made his way out of the room carefully, not leaving his holoform behind. Likely hoping to look using both of them. Robbie sighed, letting Sideswipe close the room up and lock it, he sighed a bit, seating himself at the only human-sized couch in the room. Sighing a bit, boredom was quickly coming right back to him, though it was mixed with nervousness. He hadn't liked how Sideswipe had reacted to the noise, it was as if it was not abnormal. A part of him had to silently wonder if, heaven forbid, there was a Decepticon in the base. It didn't take long for him to find the answer when a low, chilling, growl came from the dark corner of the room. Robbie was on his feet, spinning around, he could see the broken part of the air vent which had fallen to the ground.

The Decepticon this time was a cat, unlike the first Decepticon he had encountered that only moved like one. Ravage, in all his one eyed glory, seemed to click his metalic tongue, razor sharp teeth bared. It was clear to Robbie that someone in the Decepticons HAD found out about him, otherwise, he was positive the cat would have attacked Sideswipe. The net that launched from one of the guns attached to Ravage back was barely missed by a dodge roll to the side. The net retracted back as Ravage bounded his way towards Robbie, who barely managed to throw his own weight against him, knocking Ravage over. He quickly began banging on the door. "SIDESWIPE! SIDES! HELP!" He screamed loudly.

His eyes widened as a blade slammed just inches from his face, attached to Ravage's tail. Ravage removed the tail from the door, quickly retracting the blade, he lashed it out, coiling it around Robbie's legs and knocking him onto his back. Robbie let out a scream of surprise mixed with outright fear. "Let me go! Shit! HELP!" Ravage stalked forward, teeth grinding, he moved one paw over the child's mouth carefully to muffle his screams from his 'spark sitters' prying audio receptors.

Ravage's two cat-like ears perked up slowly, listening intently for several minutes. He was only satisfied when he was certain he could not hear the sound of wheels against metal that Sideswipe had been too far away to hear Robbie's cries of terror. Pressing harder against the child's mouth, Ravage snarled warningly, Robbie quickly stopped struggling and screaming, completely terrified. Thinking quickly, Ravage opened his mouth, revealing the small gun in his mouth. Robbie saw the puff of smoke, his nostrils took in the rancid smell, it was the last thing he knew before everything was dark.

...

Robbie barely managed to open his eyes what seemed like years later, but was truly no more then an hour later. His wrists and ankles were bound together by tight wiring and his mouth gagged with a dirt cloth, he was seated on the floor of what looked to be an SUV, with the back seating pushed down to make room for him. Ravage was quick to put the blade attached to his tail to Robbie's throat, and bring out a mounted gun on his back warningly. The boy's eyes widening in terror, he didn't dare move even an inch for fear of what the cat might do to him. "If you make a move for any comm device you have." Came a stoic, robotic voice from the radio "I will have Ravage kill you without a second thought. If you try to flag a human when we stop, I will have him kill you." The voice warned "'Sit tight and be quiet' as you fleshlings would say." The voice commented.

The only thing that terrified Robbie more then the current situation and Ravage was the realization he had no idea where they were going. What did the Decepticons want with him? As far as he knew, Megatron was not an SUV, but some sort of weird tank/jet hybrid according to a few soldiers. So he was very certain that he was not in Megatron's hands. The question now remaining who the Decepticon was, and what he wanted with him. He knew neither answer, but he did know one thing was certain: Nothing good would come of this.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

Robbie had forced himself to sleep the moment they had stopped for the night. However, he must have slept much longer as when Ravage smacked his paw against him, waking him up, it was nearly nightfall again. The cat had unbound his hands and taken his gag out, for a moment Robbie wondered if they were letting him go. Only to notice his ankles still bound and a loaf of bread in front of him. Ravage nudged it toward him and clicked his teeth together, and Robbie realized he was very likely telling him to eat. Robbie realized just how hungry it was just at the sheer speed at which he scarfed the bread down. Once done, a pair of mechanical arms reached from one compartment, refitting his wrists with tight wire binds. The Decepticon clearly saw no need to gag him at the present, though Ravage still kept a close optic on the young prisoner.

"Why are you doing this?" Robbie asked quietly, finding that tears were again streaming his eyes "What do you want with me?" He questioned.

He half expected laughter, but there was none, it was quiet, as the Decepticon seemed to always be. "You know why I have abducted you youngling. Do not pretend you are unaware." The voice said very coldly as well as very to-the-point "I have already spoken to Ultra Magnus of your capture. He was quite 'upset'. Be a good little fleshling and I won't give him more reason to be." He commented flatly.

Robbie took the hint to shut up, sighing a bit, he looked down. His eyes peered towards the window, he could barely make out a wooded area. They were far from California and Diego Garcia as well, that much he was certain of. Closing his eyes for a moment, he tried to take himself somewhere, anywhere but the situation he was in. Since their conversation about this possibility, this was something that Magnus had told him to do to calm himself. As well as to do everything that the Decepticons told him to. He just had never expected it to be this hard, or frightening for that matter. A paw smacked him again, sending him onto his side, Robbie's eyes shot open, starting to get the idea that he would sleep when he was told to.

_He's one pissy kitty._ Robbie thought to himself silently.

Robbie found himself counting the minutes he was stuck in the back of this alternate mode. As well as counting the number of trees outside until it finally became too dark to count them. Sighing a bit, he felt like a prisoner, which he supposed he was but he felt even more like one at that very moment. Sighing a bit he watched as Ravage handed him an open water bottle, allowing him to gulp it down. There was no question that Robbie felt dehydrated at the moment. He sighed as it was taken from him. "Will you hold your lubrication chamber." The Decepticon vehicle asked bluntly "Because I refuse to stop to allow you to lubricate." He added.

"I'm not a baby, I can hold my bladder." Robbie muttered under his breath, almost wanting to punch the side of the vehicle.

They came to a stop slowly, though Robbie thought for a moment they'd kill him. The holoform of the Decepticon, with strangely blue hair, and a pair of sunglasses grabbed hold of his arm. The back doors opened and he shoved Robbie right out. Landing on his side, Robbie groaned in pain, looking up at the Decepticon as he loomed closer. "You listen here you little pit spawn." The Decepticon said, no emotion within his voice whatsoever "If you ever speak to me that way again, I will leash you like an animal. And take you for walks to lubricate." Robbie shuddered at the thought "You are very lucky you are useful, or I would do worse." He yanked Robbie to his feet, his grip bone-crushing "Understood, fleshling?" He continued to show no emotion, even as Robbie nodded through the tears "Good, now, slagging relieve yourself. I know you will have to." He then added "Go out of my sight, and I will hunt you." He added, removing his binds carefully.

Robbie, body trembling made his way away from the Decepticon at once. Soundwave, whom had taken the child captive, was very pleased, even if he didn't show it. He had a future child of Ultra Magnus himself in captivity, and had him held in a grip of fear, Megatron would be quite pleased. Soundwave watched the boy as he did as he told him, settling his alternate mode in the spot they had stopped at for the night. "Be happy I have mercy fleshling." Soundwave said staring at the boy "We will stop here for the night, you will be free of your binds. You will not however run, or I will give Ravage permission to kill you." He added, motioning to a spot near Ravage who had sat near a tree "Now, sit." He said, a command one would give a dog.

Robbie made his way over beside Ravage, who clicked at him warningly, baring his fangs for emphasis. Deciding to add insult to injury, so to speak, Soundwave made his way forward, petting his head like a puppy. "Good boy Robbie." He added, to which Robbie glared up at him.

Robbie felt Ravage lash his tail around him before he could even lunge at Soundwave. Snarling a bit, the jaguar bot motioned for Robbie to lay down with one paw. Robbie did as he was motioned to do rather quickly, to which Ravage simply chuckled. Clearing enjoying himself in causing fear to someone so small and fragile, oh yes, he was going to enjoy this. "I will run a perimeter check." Soundwave commented to Ravage calmly "Keep him in your grip until I return." He commented.

Robbie watched Soundwave leave, he didn't even attempt to sleep, he only laid there, fearful to do anything else.

...

Magnus had never been so terrified in his life, and he had lived many, many centuries. He wanted to kill Sideswipe, but at the same time, he didn't know that Soundwave would decide to do what he did. He couldn't have known, he had completely blindsided them all by making such a quick grab and go of Robbie like that. He had spent the entire night and morning on a non-stop manhunt of Soundwave to no avail before Optimus had finally convinced him to return to NEST Base. Yet he had not recharged, not even for a millisecond, and likely never would until Robbie was back and safe with him. "Magnus..." The mech turned his head to Optimus who had stepped into his room "You need to recharge." He commented.

"I'll have a peaceful recharge when Robbie is having one." Magnus said, both honestly and bluntly, he shook his head a bit "I feel terrible Prime, I brought him into this. I knew he'd be in danger. Slaggit I was so selfish." He shook his head "I could have just seen to it he found a good home. But I had to get attached, I had to bring him into our war." He shook his head slightly.

Optimus's optics grew a great deal of sympathy for his brother, he had never been this distressed before in all the time he knew them. Moving a hand forward, he rubbed his brother's shoulder gently, comfortingly, he sighed quietly, taking a deep breath. "Magnus we're going to find him. We're going to bring him home safely." He commented "If Megatron wants to use him to get to us, he wouldn't dare have Soundwave or Ravage hurt him. He's worth more to him alive." He added.

Magnus took in his older brother's words, nodding slowly. He made a good point, in the end, Robbie was worth more to him unharmed. Magnus sighed, sitting on his berth, he stared at Optimus. He only then noticed that Optimus looked as concerned as he was. Sighing a bit, he looked down into his palms, then back at Optimus. "You sent Bee out searching California right?" Optimus nodded his head slowly "Any news from him yet?" He questioned.

"He could find no Decepticons within California. Wherever they are Soundwave was careful not to allow us to find Robert easily." Optimus put his hands on his hips slowly, shaking his head, then looked at Magnus "They could have taken him anywhere on Earth. They wouldn't risk bringing a human to the Nemesis, the air supply would be hard to provide." He looked thoughtful for a moment "But we'll need to continue pursuit in the morning. We've all been out searching since last night. We won't be able to find them in half our energy supply." He added "And you're no help to either one of you at half your energy supply either." He added calmly.

Magnus looked at Optimus, optics filled with sadness, however, he knew that Optimus was right. He was no help to Robbie if he was working on so little recharge, not to mention it was only causing his stress to slowly grow and worsen. Sighing a bit, he rested his head on his hand, staring up at Optimus. "You're right. I just feel terrible recharging somewhere warm and safe. Whereas Robbie may be sleeping in a cage for all I know, or not at all." He added, sighing a bit, looking at Optimus "I want to know he's safe Optimus." He added.

Optimus nodded slowly, heading for the door to allow Magnus whatever recharge he might get. For a moment, he turned his head back towards him, and added. "He's a strong kid Magnus, remember that. He'll be able to take care of himself until we find him." He commented in an attempt to help.

As Optimus left the room, Magnus laid himself on his berth, hands rested on his chestplate. After nearly an hour of trying, Magnus forced himself to recharge, praying to Primus that Robbie was still safe, and of course, alive.


	8. Chapter 8

Wow, even more favs and alerts, awesome. :) Hope I get some more feedback soon though. XD

...

**CHAPTER 8**

The next morning was very much the same, Soundwave was on the move early. Robbie's wrists and ankles bound together, they set out quickly to make out for the time they had lost. They refused to feed him after his fit the night before, but did give him water, if only to keep him hydrated. What Soundwave planned to do with him was still something that Robbie had no idea of, but he prayed to God, he didn't plan to make him some sort of pet. He figured that Soundwave had only been attempting to scare him the night before, treating him like a dog, but he remained fearful of that fate. Soundwave could easily read his thoughts, this was something he was positive of, because he had once or twice tried to tease him by asking if he should put 'Robert' or 'Robbie' on his collar.

Robbie had done his best to keep himself from saying anything, and he was positive that Soundwave had given up in his taunting. The more he stared at Ravage however, the more he wondered if Soundwave may very well might have been debating whether he'd make good of his threat. He had stopped crying a while ago, yet he still felt like breaking into sobs each time that thought came into his mind. If that were true, did that mean he was basically like a member of cattle to the Decepticons, an animal? He felt the SUV Come to a stop, the back doors flying open as Ravage climbed out, Soundwave's holoform removed the binds on Robbie's ankles and wrists. But taking a thicker chain pulled a noose at the end of it around his neck tightly, taking the second end of it.

"Run and I will kill you." Soundwave said simply.

Robbie stared at the surrounding area in the forest they were headed for. A massive warehouse, the doors opened for the hulking, blue robot form of Soundwave to enter. His holoform leading Robbie on a leash like a newfound puppy. Two Decepticon guards sneered at Robbie, then smirked at Soundwave's robot form, who only nodded in return. They entered slowly, the doors closing behind him. At this point, Soundwave's holoform, much more massive then Robbie, took hold of him and tossed him over his shoulder. They continued a steady walk until they came upon a cage, which he was harshly thrown inside, and the leash removed. "This is Decepticon HQ, seriously?" Robbie questioned.

"Incorrect, you have been taken here for holding until we decide what to do with you." Soundwave replied, very simply, and very to the point "Be good and perhaps I will make good of making you my pet. I could train you as infiltrator, not unlike Ratchet." The robot put a finger under his chin, and forced the child to look up at him "If not, do understand this. You will be merely used to draw your Father out, and then killed. If you wish to live, you will be a good boy and I may convince Megatron of your usefulness." He added.

Soundwave watched the human carefully for a few minutes, then walked off. Robbie let the tears fully come to him then, fear was slowly building. He could not believe that Soundwave had basically threatened to kill him if he did not agree to be his latest pet. Did he look like Ravage? Then again, he supposed he knew where Soundwave could use him. He could blend in with the humans unlike Ravage, he could do so many things for him, he saw him as useful and that was the only reason he had been taken so far away. He laid himself on his side, laying his head on the floor of the cage slowly. He knew he had no choice, he had to deal with this, or pray to God that Magnus found him.

He closed his eyes thinking hard, wondering if Magnus was out looking for him right now. He knew he might have given up by now, thought he was dead even. But a part of him held out hope that the mech was still out doing everything he could to find him. But how could he find him if Robbie himself had no idea where he was? He certainly couldn't use his comm, the Decepticons probably had something to jam its frequency. And if not, heaven only knew what Soundwave would do if he found out he tried a stunt like that. As Soundwave came back, Robbie sat up in the cage, staring at him slowly. The water hit him before he even knew what was happening, cold, freezing water. When it stopped, Soundwave tossed in some fresh clothing and a towel. "Your stench is terrible on me. Get dry and put on your new outer skin. This is not an option." He commented.

As Soundwave left him to do so, Robbie carefully did as he said. Dressing himself in the black t-shirt and blue jeans, when one of what he guessed were the drones held out his hand, he reluctantly handed over his dirty clothing. "At least there's no collar... Yet." Robbie muttered to himself as the Decepticon carried his old clothing to what he guessed was an incinerator "Or at least, hopefully that's not how they'd kill me after they're done with me." He whispered hopefully.

He stared at the comm link he had swiped from his pocket carefully. Thinking silently to himself, did he risk it? He clicked the talk button for a moment, but stopped himself short. No, he couldn't, not without first knowing where they had taken him. He sighed, pocketing his comm link carefully, he watched as the Decepticons gathered, or at least, the non-drones did. Likely discussing what they would do with him, and the longer they talked, the longer Robbie found himself worrying about what they had in store.

...

Magnus was driving well past the speed limit, not that he truly cared. Robbie had sent out a faint signal, but no matter how weak, his comm had still emitted a single signal. He knew one thing only, he was in Colorado, where in Colorado however, he had no idea. If anything, it was a sign that Robbie was alive, and Colorado was certainly a start. He had brought two of the best mech's he had under his command, one, Mirage a Ferari and master of stealth was a mech he was happier now more then ever to have on his team. The other, Sideswipe, he had dragged along for the fact it was partly his fault Robbie was in this mess in the first place. Turning a hard right into the wooded area, Magnus didn't need to go any further, he knew he had found the place.

The large warehouse had two guards at the front, both Decepticons, without a doubt it must have been where Robbie was. Mirage and Sideswipe quickly transformed behind him, Mirage doing a quick scan of the area before moving onto scanning the inside of the warehouse. Immediately he spotted the heat signature of a small, caged, human. Mirage frowned, shaking his head, he turned towards Magnus. "He's in there all right. But they have him caged. It'll be hard for me to get him out without blasting the cage door." Mirage commented, staring at Magnus carefully "It's likely Cybertronium. And I need my ion canon to blast that." He added.

"Slag I should have seen that coming." Magnus inwardly cursed himself for not thinking that far ahead, his eyes turned to Mirage "How long would we need to distract them for? Do you have an estimate of how long it would take to carve the cage off?" He asked.

Mirage appeared to give the question some serious thought, stroking his chin. He turned his optics towards Magnus, then towards Sideswipe. He sighed, then focused on Magnus. "You'd need to buy me at least ten Earth minutes, I can do it but it's going to take a lot of precision _not_ to harm the kid in the process." He admitted, speaking calmly "After all, an ion cannon shoots at a very high velocity if I even misfire _slightly _I risk harming or even killing him." He added.

Magnus's face contorted into one of worry quickly, Mirage was right. It was a high risk to use a non-concentrated ion cannon to carve through a cage that held any prisoner, let alone Robbie. He thought to himself quietly, debating on if it was worth the risk. Sighing slowly, he stared at Mirage slowly. "Just... Be careful, all right?" He put a hand on his comrades shoulder "Get him out of there safely." He added quietly.

Mirage nodded slowly, quickly activating his camo cloaking, as if he weren't there, as well as his intangibility. Magnus turned his head towards Sideswipe, who already had both of his shoulder cannons at the ready as well as his blades, he sighed slowly. "Ready to raise some pit?" Sideswipe questioned.

...

Mirage was careful to move through the warehouse and make his way to Robbie as quickly and quietly as possible. Moving forward behind the large crates, he remained in a crouched position in front of Robbie's cage. Moving a finger onto the boy, he sighed with relief, despite laying down, he was alive. Robbie jumped slightly, looking ready to scream, Mirage quickly covered his mouth with his finger. "Robbie, it's alright... Shhh... I work with your Dad." He said quietly, getting his ion cannon out carefully "I'm going to get you out of here, but I need you to stay in the dead center of the cage, alright?" Robbie moved, doing so carefully "Alright then, you're going to feel a lot of heat in there, but don't worry and don't move. Or I might hurt you by mistake." He commented.

Robbie closed his eyes in fear, but could hear the sizzling, but he wasn't dead either, that was a good sign. Opening his eyes slowly, he watched as Mirage carefully began to carve through the cage, staring in at Robbie, he smiled soothingly. He wasn't good with kids, but he knew he had to keep the child calm. Especially when all hell broke loose, like he knew it would, sighing a bit, he took a deep breath. "So kid, you're what fifteen?" Robbie nodded at the whispered question "My sparkling if he were still online would be fifteen vorns too." He commented.

It was only after Robbie shifted uncomfortably that Mirage realized bringing up his dead child was a poor choice. Shaking his head a bit, Mirage wished Magnus had asked Sideswipe to do this already, he was terrible with kids, how he got through the five vorns his son was alive for was still beyond his comprehension. Taking a deep breath again, he simply forced a smile and then added. "Listen kid, I'm not good at doing this, the whole calming thing. But I promise you it's gonna be alright." He then added "Your Dad's coming." He added.

The young man's smile relaxed Mirage somewhat, at least he was getting somewhere with him now. And hopefully, he could get him out within the first ten minutes, and before the Decepticons noticed something to be very, _very_ wrong.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

Robbie grew more and more freaked out by the minute, Mirage worked over a hail of gunfire he could hear in the distance. When the bars finally fell, and Mirage held out his hand, Robbie almost felt terrified to move. He had never been in the middle of a large Autobot/Decepticon and it scared the crap out of him. Mirage had anticipated this, the boy had been kidnapped, probably hurt, going by the bruises, and was just flat out terrified. It was typical for any youngling or sparkling to act that way, and at fifteen, barely fifteen according to Magnus, it was still an age where that could do a lot to a kid. He had to be careful with Robbie, make him come to him. "Hey kid." Mirage stated slowly, pointing towards his shoulder, and Autobot Shield "I'm a good guy, alright? You're safe now, like I said, I'm working for your Dad. I'm getting you out of here." He commented, looking him in the eyes "I know you're scared but it's going to be okay." He added.

Robbie stared at Mirage for a moment, carefully moving forward, he dragged himself onto Mirage's open palm. Mirage breathed a sigh of relief, thankful for now that Robbie wasn't too young, and therefore had been easy to calm down enough to gain his full trust. Robbie clung to Mirage for dear life, surprising the mech greatly, the poor kid must have been through much more then any of them had expected. He saw the tears flowing down his eyes, the shaking body. Frag, the Decepticons were cruel bastards to do whatever they did to make the kid this way. "Easy Robbie, it's okay." He told him awkwardly, quickly turning on his com "Magnus the kid's okay, I got him, he's fragging traumatized, but he's gonna be okay." He told Magnus quickly.

Moving into his invisible form, Mirage was very quick to move stealthily into the heat of the battle. Magnus and Sideswipe had managed to bring down five or six of the drones, but not without their own battle scars. Magnus was taking heavy fire, and Robbie seeing it, could only widen his eyes in terror. In his gut knots began to turn and old nerves came back, reminding him of things he certainly did not want to remember. He attempted to move off of Mirage's hand without thinking, but the mech carefully stopped him with one finger. "Easy kid, your Dad's one fragging tough aft. He'll be okay, but I need to get you out of here." He whispered to the boy quietly.

They moved around the back of Magnus, Robbie half tempted to reach out to him. But he also knew they had to get out of there while they had enough of a distraction to get out. Mirage was careful, keeping Robbie shielded with one palm, he made his way out the back door carefully. Transforming around the boy, he carefully buckled him in, activating a holoform. The holoform was a red haired, light blue eyed, man of around thirty years. Carefully, he moved a hand onto Robbie's leg, comfortingly, looking him in the eyes. "It's gonna be okay Robbie, you're safe now. I'm gonna get you to Ratchet, alright?" Robbie slowly nodded, still too far in shock to speak, or at least that's what Mirage figured "Slag, what's taking them so fragging long?" He questioned.

_"Mirage!" _Magnus's voice came over the comm frequency quite quckly _"Get Robbie out of there, I'll be right behind you. They noticed he's gone, you need to get the slag OUT of here!" _He stated bluntly.

Robbie wanted to say something, however, Mirage was high-tailing it out of there long before he had the chance to speak. Robbie shook his head slightly, closing his eyes tightly, the memories of what had happened to his real parents became all too fresh in his mind. It was too familiar, far too familiar, and the more he thought of it, the more Robbie felt himself filled with downright terror_. _Yet there was nothing he really could do except let Mirage get him out of there, and pray Magnus would be alright.

...

It was one of the hardest fights that Magnus had ever found himself in before. Normally he would not leave his comrade to fight the drones alone, but Soundwave, in a rage had immediately struck at him. He struck once at the massive Decepticon, from rage and from self-defense, but mostly from rage. Thankful that they were both around the same height and muscular build. Kneeing Soundwave in the jaw, he practically unhinged it, punching him yet again in the throat, Soundwave toppled over slightly. Slowly moving to lift himself to his feet, despite the pain, Soundwave shot his optics to Magnus. "You know Soundwave, I knew you were a fragging nutjob. But doing this to a kid, that's low, even for you." He said coldly.

Swinging his foot for Soundwave's faceplate, he found the foot caught, and himself thrown nearly clear across the warehouse. Crashing against the wall, Magnus lifted himself slowly, drawing both of his guns, he quickly fired several shots for Soundwave's chest and spark area. Not aiming to injure, but rather to kill or at least do a shitload of damage. Rushing forward as the blasts made contact, Magnus lunged, slamming his fist right into Soudnwave face. This time, most certainly unhinging his jaw. "You tell my brother THIS. If he ever goes near my family again, he'll spend the next sixty vorns finding the pieces of you I'll scatter around this fragging planet." Magnus said coldly.

Never had he been so thankful that Soundwave was less of a fighter and more of a Communications Specialist. It made it so much easier to kick his aft. Slamming his foot down, he dug into Soundwave's throat, causing him to go into a forced stasis lock. Backing up slowly, he could hear the footsteps approaching, Magnus quickly shot the drone, only over his shoulder. Blasting it back several feet back against the warehouse wall. Magnus took several deep breaths before punting Ravage where he stood, stasis locking him as well, for good measure. "Whoa Magnus... I don't think I've seen that side of you." Sideswipe said, keeping a safe distance.

Magnus tried to calm himself, turning his head towards Sideswipe, shaking his head a bit. "They touched my son, that was a BIG mistake." Magnus said simply, clutching his slightly wounded right shoulder plate "Slag we're gonna need a transport of some sort. I can't transform, slaggers did a number on my shoulder." He said simply "Send in the co-ordinates and get us a bridge, will you?" He questioned simply.

Sideswipe nodded, calling in rather quickly, Magnus didn't even pay close attention to what he said. His main focus was Robbie, at least for now, concern in his spark had been there ever since Mirage had said he was traumatized. This was exactly what he had been afraid of, Robbie being put through this, being put in danger because of him. He sighed slightly, praying to Primus that Robbie would trust him after this, and not want to leave. Though how could he blame him? The simple answer, he couldn't and if he chose to leave, he wouldn't.

...

Robbie sat on the edge of the hospital bed carefully, Ratchet had stitched him up slightly. However, he refused to release him from the med bay until Magnus got back, obviously concerned that Robbie's trauma would be too much for him to handle alone. His body was still shaking, terrified, but slowly starting to calm from the initial shock Mirage had found him in. His eyes shot up quickly as loud footsteps could be heard entering the med bay. Magnus stood, still not quite healed, but alive and well stepped inside. Robbie was on his feet at once, Magnus activating his holoform, knowing that Robbie was going to rush over. He took the boy into his arms as soon as he did. Hugging him even more tightly then he ever had before, thanking Primus he was safe. His robot form was quickly dragged away by Ratchet, who allowed his holoform to stay.

Seating Robbie back on the bed, Magnus refused to remove his arm from around Robbie, well aware he needed him right now. "It's okay Robbie, I know that's going to... Have VERY lasting effects on you. And I'm so sorry I let that happen." He shook his head slightly, staring the boy in the eyes "Primus he didn't hurt you did he?" He questioned, Robbie shook his head slowly, not daring to scoot away from Magnus "Robbie, maybe this is a sign that this... Won't work out." He commented quietly, staring at the boy seriously.

"What?" Robbie's eyes widened, shaking his head "Dad, that wasn't your fault. I mean yeah, I'm freaked out, but that's also for other reasons." He bit his lip, looking down, he stared at Magnus slowly "There was a lot more that went in there besides what happened with me. I'm not traumatized... I'm just..." Robbie shook his head, knowing he would slightly be traumatized by all of this, it was unavoidable, but he quietly he added "I'm just shocked. You always warned me about what could happen but I never thought... I never..." He shook his head.

"You never thought they'd actually have the 'balls' to go after you." Magnus finished the sentence for him, Robbie only nodded slowly, Magnus's eyes filled with concern quietly "Robert, the Decepticons will do anything, and use anyone they can to get to me and Optimus. You need to know if this continues, we always risk something like this." He shook his head slowly, running a hand through the teen's hair slowly "If anything, I will always be in that kind of danger. As I'm aware that you were very fearful of my safety." He was very calm "This is a very dangerous war Robert, do you understand? This is why we fight." He commented.

Robbie stared at Magnus slowly, recognizing what he saw in his holoform's eyes. A mixture of deep fear and concern, he was positive that Magnus believed this was the end of all of it. But Robbie didn't want it to be, not after what he had seen today. Yes, it would take time to get over, but Magnus had staged an entire rescue mission, just to save him. He knew going into that that he was playing right into Soundwave's hand, taking the bait, yet he hadn't cared. "I'm not leaving Dad. Not over that." He shook his head slowly, looking at Magnus "You walked into a TRAP for me, why would I leave the care of someone who would put his life on the line for me?" He commented.

Magnus smiled slightly, it was true, and he knew it. Magnus would take a blast for this kid, hell, he'd take an ion cannon for him. By the bond that had been formed, Magnus had found himself visiting parts of his personality he had never discovered before today. The day he truly realized how much Robbie meant to him, he meant everything, and for that exact reason he would fall into a hundred traps. Though one could only hope he'd never have to, taking a deep breath, he kissed the top of Robbie's head gently. "And I'd gladly do it again if I had to Robbie. You mean a lot to me kid. And besides, it's what parents do." He smiled gently at Robbie "I do suggest however, you take Ratchet's advice he has told me he gave you." He commented.

"To see him for THERAPY?" Robbie questioned "I don't-."

"Robert, you just went through a very traumatic experience for a child to deal with." Magnus told him calmly, looking Robbie in the eyes "There are going to be nightmares, there are going to be flashbacks, and the the therapy is going to help you through that." He said simply "You're going." He added.

Robbie stared at Magnus slowly, but the mech did not budge, his holoform simply stared at him with solid eyes. He knew there was absolutely no way around the therapy, so he simply nodded calmly. "Yes sir." Robbie replied, only when Magnus raised an eyebrow did he correct himself "I mean Dad." He commented.

"'Atta boy." Magnus replied.

Magnus took a deep, long sigh of relief, happy that this was all over. But praying that Robbie wouldn't be too traumatized, he could never forgive himself if he didn't recover. He knew he would however, no matter how long it took, he'd be there every step of the way. Sighing a bit, and thanking Primus once more, he carefully began to examine Robbie's bruises himself, just to be on the safe side.

...

Sorry the battle was a little lackluster. I'm not the best at large group battles but I did my best. :)


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

Robbie sighed a bit as he laid in bed, he normally would be asleep by this point. However, at the moment, Robbie was still having problems. The nightmares were just as bad as Magnus had told him they would be, and then some. He sighed bit, sitting up, he turned the light on carefully. Carefully getting off the bed, he carefully turned off his alarm clock, as well as the alarms. Sneaking out of his room carefully he made his way into the hall, half hoping that Magnus was up. It had been his day off, and therefore hadn't had to be deployed out. Rather interestingly enough, Robbie had noticed none of the Autobots had been needed that day. Sighing as he entered the communication hangar, he sighed a bit. It was quiet, no one was around, to his dismay, even Magnus wasn't up.

Sighing a bit, he climbed the ladder onto the catwalk, seating himself near the edge with his legs dangling over the side. He practically jumped out of his skin at the loud footsteps. His head shot back, but was relieved to see Optimus headed in his direction. Noticing him, the mech gave a look of concern, knowing full well why his 'nephew' was currently up at such a late hour. "Good evening Robert." Optimus noted calmly, making his way forward "You're up at a very late hour, aren't you?" He questioned.

Robbie sighed a bit, feeling awkward right now. He had a strong bond with Magnus, but Optimus was very often busy. And as a result, he had never really had a relationship with him, they acknowledged one another, but otherwise, he never really knew him. He sighed a bit, looking down, then back at Optimus who was now standing beside him. "I can't sleep... I was uh..." He shook his head a bit, then stared at Optimus calmly "Well you don't really want to know, you're probably up because you have work right? Don't let me keep you." He added.

Optimus frowned slightly at this notion, at Robbie's assumption. He had actually been headed for recharge, when he had noticed Robbie up and about and became a bit concerned. He didn't know the human boy well, however, he would still soon be his nephew, he was family, and he looked out for what little family he did have. Sighing a bit, Optimus activated his holoform onto the catwalk, a large, extremely tall, muscular trucker like man, with short, spiked brown hair and piercing blue eyes like that of Magnus. Robbie instantly recognized the obvious family resemblance. Taking a deep breath, Optimus took a seat next to the boy carefully. "Robert, I came out here as I saw you up and about, it concerned me." He commented quietly "You're soon to be my brother's son, and as such, you are family." He added.

"I'm just..." Robbie closed his eyes slowly, looking at Optimus before opening his eyes "I was just looking for Dad, I uh... I had a nightmare, and I couldn't get to sleep." He commented, very carefully, nervously "I guess I'm scared that when I do someone's going to attack me or take me again." He shook his head a bit "Or that something else will go wrong, you know, like tomorrow I'll wake up and social services will take me away or..." Robbie shook his head a bit, looking at Optimus with a sigh "Sorry, I'm really rambling I know, I just... I don't know." Robbie grew silent at that point.

Optimus sighed a bit, looking the child over, he looked scared, as he knew he likely should be. He didn't blame him, the poor boy had gone through a lot over the course of a few days, and at a very young age to boot. He felt terrible that he couldn't have prevented it, especially as he had sworn to protect the humans. But he couldn't have prevented it in the end, they had obviously been baited away by the Decepticons, by drones of all things, so that they could make their move. In retrospect, the Decepticons had been smart to do this. Robbie was, in many ways, a good bargaining chip, considering he lived in the Autobots care, and not just NEST's.

"Robert... Robbie." Optimus corrected himself, remembering what the boy had asked to be called "I know exactly what you are going through right now. It is a very frightening experience, for not only you, but for an Autobot as well. Before I was named Prime, I experienced it myself, as a youngling no older then you as well." He told him quietly, Robbie turned his head, listening intently "I still carry the memories with me, but I use them to drive me. To keep me fighting, it was the moment I became aware of how horrible our kind can be. As that was long before the war even began." He added, looking at Robbie "Even if it was conducted by a Cybertronian who would one day be a Decepticon." He said, staring at Robbie.

"It was Soundwave, wasn't it?"

"Yes, Robbie, ironically it was. Soundwave had a begrudging attitude towards the mech that took care of and raised your Father and myself." Optimus began quietly, thinking back upon it "One day, he snatched me, hoping to strike a blow against him. He is a very cruel, cold, and sparkless being. I have no doubt that you went through much of what I went through myself." He added, shaking his head a little "Do you need to speak of this, Robbie? I'm sure I understand what you're going through better then anyone else." He commented.

Robbie stared at Optimus thoughtfully for a moment, considering it. He was almost stunned to hear all of this from such a big, strong, powerful mech, that something from his childhood had affected him. Sighing a bit, Robbie felt the tears that ran down his cheeks long before he began to speak. "He would hit me, or Ravage would every time I tried to sleep when I wasn't supposed to. They gave me bread to eat, and because I didn't have to go the bathroom, they wouldn't even let me eat the next day." Robbie felt a chill go up his spine, biting his lip "Soundwave wanted to make me his frickin' pet, collar and _everything_." Robbie felt the tears going down harder "Shit, I was so scared for my life I was almost ready to let him do it, just hoping he wouldn't kill me." He added.

Optimus felt anger building up, coupled in with sympathy. The poor human had been through an even harder time then he had imagined, he couldn't even imagine the fear that had gone through Robbie's head. He sighed a bit, awkwardly, he moved his arm, and put it around Robbie's shoulders. The teen shifted uncomfortably, but didn't move, Optimus knew he needed the comfort. "It's alright Robbie, what matters is that you're safe now." He said quietly, looking down at the boy "If you ever need to talk to someone, and your Father isn't around. I will gladly listen, given I am not at work as well." He stated calmly, looking at Robbie "But you need to sleep." He commented.

"I know." Robbie nodded his head slowly "Thanks for listening Optimus." He commented, standing up slowly.

Optimus smiled standing up as well, his holoform disappeared. Optimus smiled down at the young man, holding out a hand, Robbie looked down upon it. He stared back up at Optimus slowly. "How about an escort to your bedroom? Would you feel safer?" He questioned.

Robbie nodded slowly, climbing onto Optimus's open palm. Optimus smiled a bit carrying the boy in his palm, he was all too reminded of the nights he carried Bumblebee to bed. Of course, that had been his own adopted child, but regardless, he was happy to comfort Robbie. He was his nephew, or at least, he hoped he would be, if only because he made Magnus happier then he had seen his younger brother in a very long time. Sighing a bit as they reached his room, Optimus made a careful scan of the interior before setting the boy down on the ground, he smiled a bit. "Have a good evening little one." He told him calmly.

Robbie bit his lip, unsure of what to say he took a deep breath, looking up at him calmly. "You too Uncle Prime, and thank you, for listening... And helping." He took a deep breath, forcing a smile to his lips, even if he felt awkward after calling him his Uncle.

Optimus smiled back as Robbie headed for his bed, the boy climbed into his bed, flicking his alarms on. Optimus made a double scan, just so Robbie would feel secure that the alarms were active, he nodded calmly, closing the door on his way out. He nearly found himself nose to nose with Magnus, who had been secretly watching from a bit of a distance. "You're really good with kids, you know that?" Magnus noted to his older brother, chuckling "I owe you one for what you did for Robbie. I've been having a hard time handling the whole.. Trauma." He added.

"I know, which is why I went to him this time." Optimus admitted calmly, crossing his arms "You have a good youngling Magnus, and one that looks to you for help." He commented, smiling a bit, he put his hand on Magnus's shoulder "All you have to do is be there for him, that's all he needs, someone to be there." He commented, tightening the grip a bit "Goodnight Magnus." He commented, as he turned to leave.

"Night Prime."

Magnus sighed a bit, activating his holoform, moving to the doorway, he carefully leaned against it. For a moment, watching the now finally sleeping form of Robbie. He smiled a little at how peaceful Robbie looked, it was actually rather cute in his eyes, and it had been since he had come there. It was not the first time he took a few moments to watch his future son sleep and it wouldn't be the last. Taking a deep breath, and watching for a moment longer, he smiled a bit. "Goodnight son, love you." He whispered quietly as he gently closed Robbie's bedroom door.

He could only hope that eventually, Robbie could get past this. But he knew it would take time, and comfort. Both of which Magnus had plenty of, and would definitely provide.

...

Ah it was nice to take a little break from Magnus and Robbie's relationship for a chapter. Felt his relationship with the other members of his new family should be showcased. Not sure when he'll meet Bee quite yet though.


	11. Chapter 11

So yeah, for those who don't know, in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Sam has a new love interest. Carly Miller, while I will say Mikaela WILL make an appearance at some point, Sam is with Carly at this point. And Bumblebee has his new alt mode.

...

**CHAPTER 11**

Robbie sighed a bit, shifting a little he carefully straightened himself. The boy was having one of those days, the type of day where he felt like going into his room and not coming out. It wasn't that he was nervous, no of course he wasn't. So what if Magnus was with social services for the first time? In a meeting that he wasn't supposed to be a part of? Robbie sighed a bit, sitting on a bench as he calmly watched the goings on on the base, rather bored and nervous at the same time. Sighing a bit, crossing his arms, he watched carefully as a golden Comaro with black racing stripes drove into the hangar, he shifted a bit, curiously. He had never seen the car before, and therefore, it had sparked his interest. "Fragging nice car." He muttered under his breath, surprised at himself for a moment "Oh wow, I did not just curse in Cybertronian." He chuckled to himself.

As the car came to a stop nearby he watched, a pair of people exited the car calmly. One a boy a bit older then himself, perhaps eighteen or nineteen with short brown hair, and a girl, around twenty, with long blond hair, and the figure of a model. Robbie watched as, to his surprise the car then transformed, though he shouldn't have been at this point, he had seen enough Autobots by then. But of course, there were moments when a new one would catch him off guard. Watching the Golden Transformer curiously, he tilted his head to the side, he looked considerably younger then the rest, but still very mature. Sighing a bit, Robbie hopped off the bench he was sitting on, deciding to simply be sociable for once.

The yellow Autobot seemed to notice him right away, smiling down at him. Robbie smirked back a bit, he didn't know who the Autobot was, but he seemed friendly enough. The young man and woman walked away for a moment before Robbie really got a chance to say something. Shaking his head a bit, he stared up at the yellow Autobot calmly. Looking him up and down, the black racing stripes on golden paint job reminded him of a Bumblebee. Grinning a bit, and realizing the mech he was standing here was his elusive 'cousin' he sighed a bit. "So you must be the mysterious Bumblebee." He teased.

The Autobot seemed to tilt his head to the side curiously. Bumblebee could have easily responded, his vocal receptors having been fixed some time ago, but he wondered how the human knew his name. Crouching down a bit to the small human, he scanned him over a bit. He was definitely not a Pretender, but then who was he? "I'm sorry, but I do not believe we've met before." Bumblebee tilted his head to the side yet again, staring at the child with his optics before realizing "Robert, I'm guessing?" He added.

"Robbie, please. No matter what your Dad decided to call me. My name is Robbie." Robbie smiled up at the mech, his cousin calmly, smiling "It's great to finally meet you Bumblebee, Dad and Uncle Prime talk about you a lot. But I never actually expected you to look like a... Bumblebee." Robbie pointed at his door wings a bit "Wings and all." He jested.

Bumblebee smiled down at the young human curiously. He liked Robbie already, the boy reminded him strangely a lot of a young Sam, when he first met him. Full of curiosity, spirited, but maybe just a little bit nervous around him. Smiling down at his soon to be younger cousin, then staring up and looking towards Sam and his new girlfriend, Carly, whom were waiting nearby. Bumblebee smirked a bit, holding out a palm, then nodding. "You looked bored, why not join us?" He questioned carefully "I'll even give you a lift." He added.

Robbie smiled a bit, climbing onto Bumblebee's palm easily, the robot lifted him onto his shoulder carefully. Smiling a bit, Bumblebee made his way over to his two other human companions. Crossing his arms, he stared down at Sam's look of confusion. He had told Sam that in his reports from Optimus, he had learned of a new HUMAN addition to the family, but he had likely forgotten. Sighing a bit, he turned his optics towards Robbie. "Robbie, meet Sam Witwicky and Carly Miller. My charge and his girlfriend." Bumblebee then pointed at Robbie "This is the younger cousin Prime and Magnus told me about earlier." He noted.

"Oh yeah, totally forgot about that." Sam scratched the back of his head slightly "I thought Prime just had an odd sense of humor." He added.

Carly glared at her boyfriend slightly, slugging him in the arm as if to say 'Really?'. Sam rubbed his arm slightly, sometimes he wished he hadn't gone from one tough as nails girlfriend to another. At least Mikaela didn't decide to slug him every time he said something stupid. Robbie, however, rather then be offended, simply allowed himself to chuckle at the entire thing. Thinking back on it, the idea of a Giant Robot really meaning that they wanted to adopt a human was a rather funny thought, he wasn't going to lie. "What my sometimes slow boyfriend meant to say was, it's nice to finally meet you Robbie." Carly told him calmly, looking up at him and Bumblebee.

"It's nice to meet the three of you too. I've heard a lot about both of you." Robbie looked at Sam, chuckling a bit at how embarrassed he looked "Dude, calm down, you didn't mean anything by it." He commented, shaking his head "It was bound to be brought up. Hell, you're not the first. My best friend, Alex? He jokes about it all the time." He chuckled nervously "So what are you guys doing here anyway? Things have been quiet... Well besides.." Robbie's body tensed, but he forced himself to push the memories away.

Bumblebee watched Robbie carefully, knowing full well what had happened. Which was part of the reason Carly had likely slugged Sam, he had forgotten about the night Robbie had been taken. So he had in a way called Optimus a liar, something the Autobot leader was most certainly not. Though Sam clearly had not meant to, after all, Bumblebee knew that Sam and Prime were close, nearly as close as they were in fact. Sighing a bit, he eyed Robbie with his optics. "We usually come on long weekends from Sam's college." Bumblebee noted, shrugging his shoulders "In case I'm needed, and so they can see their human friends on base." He noted.

"Sounds like a plan." Robbie shrugged his shoulders.

In truth, Robbie was quite thankful for the distraction from what was happening today. It managed to get his mind off Social Services, and best of all from what Galloway might be telling them. Shaking his head a bit, he crossed his arms slightly, sighing happily as he leaned against Bumblebee's shoulder. He couldn't believe he was thinking this, but Robbie was really starting to feel more and more at home.

...

Magnus had never been in such a nerve-wracking situation in his life. Nor had he ever thought he'd feel so intimidated by a bunch of humans. Then again, this was his first meeting with social services, who could take Robbie away from him, the last thing in the world he wanted. It stunned him that they weren't even intimidated by him, they treated him like they would any client. Sighing a bit, he sat in the large Transformer-size couch within the rec room, which had been closed off for this reason. They had started by asking him questions about Robbie, simply to see if he really cared enough to learn about him. To Magnus's relief, he was correct on every question according to Robbie's files.

Calmly the man, Mr. Brcokford, looked up from Magnus's files, which he had gathered with help from some of the NEST humans. Most of his experience was with children of his own kind but he hoped having experience at all would get him points with Social Services. "Your resume, Mr. Magnus, even if it is on an Alien planet, is extremely impressive. The Youth Sector, I take it is in your terms, an orphanage?" Magnus nodded at Brockford's question "And you volunteered there until the time in which Cybertron fell?" Again a nod "Well now, you're a very charitable mech, aren't you?" He questioned.

"I like children Mr. Brockford. I've always been good with them, and I've always enjoyed their company." Magnus explained calmly, smiling down at him "Robert would be the first child I had the pleasure of calling my own. But I had a hand in raising my adopted nephew, Bumblebee, as well as assisting with many Youth Sector orphans." He then added "My brother and I were orphaned as sparkling's ourselves. So I have always done my best..." He shook his head a bit "We were lucky, I believe, however. As we never knew our creators, or at least, I never did. I was born shortly before their passing. Optimus was almost two human years, so he remembers them vividly." He admitted, tapping the side of his helm "When we are past our first few 'months' of birth, we remember all that we see. But I was barely two human months old." He said sadly.

Brockford watched Magnus as he talked of his own parents, he seemed saddened. But it was expected, he delt with many cases of children in the same situation. "That's always hard never remembering your parents, the ones that brought you into your world. You and Robbie, might have that in common." He admitted.

Magnus stared at Mr. Brockford, completely confused, he shifted forward a bit. "Didn't Robert know his parents? He told me they were killed when he was nine years old." He added.

"His adoptive parents died when he was nine." Brockford told him quietly, looking at Magnus who seemed surprise "He doesn't like to talk about it. But Robbie has been in the system, other then his time with them for... Geez, since he was no older then five months old. His real parents were killed in a car crash, it was a _real_ tragedy." Brockford shook his head, looking up "Neither of his parents had any family to speak of so he was sent here. But well... They were some very, very good people. His Father was a Senator for a while, very charitable people." He sighed a bit "Loved Robbie more then anything from what I understand. Last people you'd want to see die. But well, you can never predict drunk drivers." He shook his head a bit.

Magnus leaned back against the seat he was in, stunned beyond words. It finally made sense, why Robbie was afraid of loosing him. He had lost his real parents and one set of adoptive parents already, he couldn't even begin to fathom what that must have felt like. Brockford stood up slowly, nodding to Magnus. "Well Mr. Magnus, for a first meeting I would say this has gone well. Next week, we'll be back for the inspection and to see both of you." Brockford nodded his head once slowly "Until then I bid you good day." He commented.

Magnus watched him leave and let his processor wander, why wouldn't Robbie tell him? Why did he keep something like this from him? Did he really not believe he would have understood? Sighing a bit, Magnus rubbed his chinplate calmly, letting himself wonder, at least for now.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

Robbie was feeling practically dead by the end of the day. Hanging out with Bumblebee, Sam, Carly, as well as a few NEST members had been fun. However, the fun had been one big adrenaline rush in a lot of ways, causing him to practically pass out in Bumblebee's palm at one point. When they finally left, Robbie found Magnus headed his way calmly hands on his hip plates. He knew something was wrong, just by looking at him. However, Magnus seemed to smile and no official was behind him, so those fears quickly dissipated. Crouching down, Magnus held out a hand, allowing Robbie to climb on. "Long day for you too, huh?" Magnus chuckled a little.

"Bee knows how to have a damn good time, what can I say?" Robbie shrugged his shoulders with a weak smile "How'd it go, Dad? Please tell me I'm not going back." He added.

"You're not going back, it went well. We have our second appointment next week." Magnus commented, holding Robbie to his optics he stared him in the eye "But I also understand you have not been completely truthful with me Robert. I know you've been in this much longer then six 'years'." He commented, Robbie bit his lip, his head turning in fear "I'm not angry, I simply do not understand Robert. Why would you not tell me?" He questioned.

Robbie continued to keep his eyes away from him, he didn't want to have this conversation right now. Of all people, not with Magnus, he didn't want to go over what the last fifteen years of his life had been like. He didn't want to talk about his Dad, the Senator, the large inheritance he had. And inheritance he knew Jerry had wanted to take advantage of, being the only reason he had kept him so long. He had never even known his parents, yet everyone talked about them like they were great people. A senator and a nurse, neither field he wanted to go into yet he knew someday, someone would try to push it on him. In a family of political figures, he was scared being a Senator would be pushed on him.

Robbie didn't want that however, he wanted to sing and act. He didn't want to give big speeches and sit in chairs while talking to the Senate. "Because my Dad was a Senator. And Prime's like the frickin' President Magnus." Magnus stared, suddenly understanding "I don't want to do what my Dad did. And I know you guys would want me to so I... I just never said anything." He said quietly, his voice was low, quiet, full of nerves.

Magnus shook his head at Robbie slowly, full of disbelief. How could Robbie even begin to think that he'd not support whatever Robbie wanted to do? If Robbie wanted to be a Senator, that would be great, of course, but if he wanted to do something else, that was great too. Sure, Optimus was a political leader, and he was a Commander, but Magnus would be perfectly happy if Robbie ended up being something completely different. "Robert Andrew MAGNUS." He stated firmly, staring him in the eyes "I love you, you'll soon be my son. No matter what you do with your life, I will be proud of you. Whether you're a Senator or a trash collector." He told him "Do you understand me?" He questioned.

"You got my name wrong."

"Maybe in the eyes of the government at this time. But in my eyes? You're my son already." Magnus gently rubbed his finger along Robbie's side causing the boy to giggle "And little one I mean every word I said. Don't even worry the least bit, alright? No matter what you do, you'll make me proud." He then added "You're meant for great things Robbie, I knew that the moment I met you." He commented, setting the human boy on his shoulder.

Robbie smiled at Magnus slightly pushing back the tears that were forcing their way out. It had felt good to get it all out, and to hear that from Magnus. It calmed so many fears he had, all the expectations he thought might have been pushed on him now. Sighing a bit, he smiled, leaning on Magnus carefully as the mech made his way towards his bedroom. Setting Robbie into his bed, he activated his holoform, pulling the covers over the boys body. He sat there for a long moment, smiling a bit, he laid a kiss upon Robbie's head. "I love you Robbie, don't forget that." He whispered quietly.

Magnus carefully turned the alarm clock on, disappearing as the mech form made his way out. He was only mid-way through the door when he heard a set of words for the first time since he had taken Robbie in. "I love you too, Dad."

Smiling back at Robbie for a moment before closing the door, Magnus made his way down the hallway. Hoping to head for his room and get some recharge of his own before he had to get up in the morning. Knowing full well that he had a meeting in the morning. He didn't like the sound of two meetings in a row, but he didn't have a choice. Hopefully this time, his absence wouldn't cause yet another problem. He however pushed the thoughts aside, knowing nothing would happen.

...

Magnus was very thankful that Bumblebee had come by again that morning. Sam was in class that day, but he had come in case he was needed. And simply stayed to keep Robbie company while he and Optimus were in a meeting. Robbie certainly didn't complain, being Bumblebee was easily the coolest, if not only, cousin he had ever had. Between the video games, shoulder rides, and the music the night before, Robbie could easily see that he was going to enjoy the visits from Bumblebee. Bumblebee, as he learned, though young, was still in his twenties in human years and therefore was warned of an overly protective nature he had. That only made Robbie happy for a moment that it had not been Optimus who he had grown close to. The last thing he needed was an overprotective older brother, a cousin he could at least deal with.

Sighing a bit as he sat on the floor of the rec room, Robbie watched Bumblebee as he did some training stances. Beating at a large punching bag not unlike the kind a human used, only much, much larger. The way Bumblebee, or hell, all the Autobots, moved still amazed him. He wished he could fight, but he had never even tried. Thinking for a moment, he made his way towards Bumblebee. "Hey Bee!" Bumblebee stopped for a few moments, stopping the bag and looking down "Do you... Uh, do you think you could teach me some of those moves?" He questioned.

Bumblebee stared down at Robbie curiously, he had never been asked to teach someone to fight. Yet here was his soon to be little cousin, asking him to teach him some bits of martial arts. "Robbie, this is very complicated stuff, I went through years of training under Ironhide." Bumblebee tilted his head a bit "I'm not sure I'd be the best teacher, honestly. You might be better off asking Ironhide or your Dad even..." He watched as Robbie gave a rather upsetting glance, taking a deep breath he smiled a little "Alright kid, you want to learn to fight like your big cousin? Let's get you started with easier moves first, okay?" He questioned.

"You mean that stuffs not easy?" Robbie questioned.

"For a Cybertronian, yes, it is. For a human? You're probably at least.. Ten years away from stuff that complicated." Bumblebee admitted calmly, motioning for Robbie to follow him to the human area of the Rec Room "I'll start you off with something small and easy kid. Have you ever fought before?" Robbie shook his head in response "Alright then, nothing TOO heavy, or you'll get hurt." Bumblebee scanned around, coming upon the least heavy bag they had "Get the gloves from the chest, trust me you'll want them." He added.

Robbie headed over calmly towards the 'chest'. Grabbing a pair of green 'fighter' gloves that were basically smaller boxing gloves with finger holes, he put them on calmly. Making his way back over to Bumblebee who crossed his arms slightly, trying to remember how Ironhide started him off back in the day. He nodded his head a bit, beginning rather calmly. "Alright kid, hit that as hard as you can." He watched Robbie punch it, it barely moved an inch, to which Robbie seemed frustrated "Don't sweat it Robbie, you haven't fought before, this is new for you." He added "Try it again."

Robbie gave another punch, this one faster and a bit harder, causing it to swing a bit. Robbie smiled a bit, hearing Bumblebee tell him to punch twice, managing to do so, several times. It continued for several minutes, he eventually managed to stop himself. Taking several deep breaths once they had stopped, he noticed the bag still swinging around, and stopped it calmly. Staring up at Bumblebee whose arms were crossed and smiled a bit. "You're doing good, but just remember to keep putting more force into it." Bumblebee told him calmly, shaking his head a bit "Your Dad would be a better teacher then I would kid, I barely remember the basics. I've been in too many battles." He added.

"But you said you were only twenty-five in human years."

"I joined the Autobot Military when I was sixteen in human terms." Bumblebee explained, putting his hands on his hips "So it was a very long time ago. Your Dad used to teach at boot camp though, probably has even the basics hard-wired into him." He admitted.

"Dad did a whole lot of stuff on Cybertron, didn't he?"

Bumblebee nodded at him with a smile, looking thoughtful for a moment. "You should talk to him about it sometime. He's got a lot of good stories." Bumblebee admitted, he stopped for a moment clicking the side of his head "That's the alarm, I need to pick up Sam. But listen if you want to do this again sometime. And I have the time, I could try and teach you a little more." He added, moving to leave the rec room.

"See you Bee."

Bumblebee nodded before leaving the room. Robbie removed his gloves calmly, putting them back in the chest, he sat on it thoughtfully for a moment. Almost wondering what other stories that Magnus may have, he sighed a bit, deciding that perhaps he would ask him sometime. After all, Magnus knew so much about his past now, about his fears, and the like. But he knew close to nothing about what happened in Magnus's past, and as they always said, curiosity killed the cat.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

Robbie sighed a bit, shifting uncomfortably in the seat. He wasn't used to dressing nicely, straightening his hair, or anything of the sort. But for a meeting with Social Services it was needed, to look nice. He hadn't ever been as nervous as he was that night, Magnus had given him a weeks notice, but he still wasn't sure he was ready. What if they deemed him unfit to take care of Robbie? What if he went back into Foster Care? He could only imagine how terrible that would be. Sighing a bit, he put his hands in his pockets, sitting on Magnus's knee, he felt the giant robot running a finger along his back comfortingly. It was the longest, most aggravating wait Robbie had ever experienced, the entire investigation of every ounce of where Robbie lived.

Robbie wished they could just give him over to Magnus, let him be his son. They had already established a bond of love and trust, and he loved his new life and family. Wasn't that enough? Not according to Social Services, especially not when he was a completely different species. Sighing a bit, Robbie leaned his head against Magnus's leg. "This is torture Dad. What if they say no? What if they decide I should go back into Foster Care?" He stated, looking up at Magnus "I'm just starting to feel at home, and the fact it's taking so long is scaring the crap out of me." He admitted quietly.

Magnus frowned a bit, leaning down, he was careful to lay a kiss on his head with his metal lips. He had learned to belittle his strength and do so after some practice, thankful for it as he could show affection to his son in both of his forms now. His son, he couldn't wait for the day that he truly could call Robbie that with pride, or at least call him that and have it be true. "Robert, listen to me. Everything will be fine, I promise you, you are not going back there." He stated quietly "I told you before, I will fight for custody of you if I have to. And I meant it." He added.

Robbie nodded slowly, knowing Magnus meant it. He was quite positive by this point, he'd fight the government over custody if he had to. Magnus had grown to love him a great deal, and the feeling was mutual. Taking Robbie away from the first loving home he had in six years would be morally wrong. Sighing a bit, Robbie turned his head as Mr. Brockford entered the room, smiling up at the two of them. "You have a great environment, Mr Magnus, I will give you that. I only have one concern." He commented carefully "Surrounded by the Military, constant battles, and all. How do you expect to take care of Robbie?" He questioned.

"Very simple actually, sir." Magnus smiled a bit "I normally have at least two days off, and the mornings and afternoons. It's only late at night that we're normally called upon unless we're sure a Decepticon attack is at hand." Magnus stated, crossing his arms a bit "On top of this, we are currently building a second base in California. When it eventually is finished construction in a years time, I will be relocating there. To make it easier to commute Robert to and from school. I have discussed this with my team, and they have agreed to it." He added, shifting forward with a nod "I assure you, Robbie will always be just as important as my work." He admitted.

"What about you, Robbie?" Robbie stared at Brockford, who had a questioning glance "Is this really what you want? It really is an abnormal life Robbie. You won't have a normal one if you choose to stay here. But ultimately, your decision plays a large role. This is about what is best for you." He admitted.

Robbie shifted a bit, he had never considered that, the fact his life would never be normal again. He'd probably become a bit more popular at school, because of the Autobot craze that had started soon after Egypt. He'd have to settle to life on a Military Base the rest of his life. He'd have to get used to even more teasing he was sure, by idiots who thought the Autobots and by association, himself, were freaks. But strangely, Robbie didn't mind any of this as much as he might have at the beginning. He had a loving family at NEST, even in the troops, Galloway being an exception. "I want to stay with Magnus." Robbie said quietly "He may be a Giant Robot, but he's a really good Dad to me Mr. Rockford. I don't want to loose him." He added.

Rockford smiled slightly taking a deep breath, scratching his beard slightly. "Well, after evaluating things, Robbie's statement, and reviewing our previous interview with you... As well as taking into account Mr. Galloway's statements. Which most saw as rather prejudice." Rockford took a deep, long breath, he stood slowly "I think we all know that he does belong with you. This was our decision, though we needed to hear from Robbie that he wanted this." He added, nodding his head slowly "It will take a few months to process the paperwork, and get you a court date. But once that is all done, Robbie will be yours Mr. Magnus." He commented.

It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of his stomach. He had known that if any previous things had gone wrong, it might have taken as long as a year for this to go through. But after nearly two months, he'd only have to wait a few more months before he could call himself 'Robert Magnus'. Magnus seemed to be beaming himself, happy that he would not have to fight for his right to keep Robbie, he would soon legally be his son. "Thank you Mr. Brockford. I promise you nor any one else in Social Services will regret this decision." Magnus stated, activating his holoform, he shook hands with Brockford, a few more words were exchanged, and the man left "Did you hear that bud, no going back now." He told Robbie.

"I-I know I just can't... I never thought." Robbie felt tears falling down his eyes slowly.

"Why are you crying Robbie, are you not... Happy that Social Services has given me custody of you?"

"Tears of happiness Magnus, sometimes humans cry when they're happy too." Robbie told him, explaining it to the large mech calmly "If I were any happier I don't think I could actually contain myself honestly." He told him with a smile, chuckling a little.

Magnus only smiled both at Robbie's statement and from his own happiness. He definitely wanted to rub it in Galloway's face, Primus knew that he was talking to Social Services behind his back. Even before Brockford had told him about it, he knew. He had been against the idea from the start, yet Galloway had lost, Robbie would soon be his and no one could stop it. Now, he could only hope the next few months would go smoothly so that nothing more would go wrong.

...

It was no more then two months later that Magnus signed the papers. Robbie didn't know who was more relieved, him or Magnus. Though he was absolutely positive that he would never be able to hold back his excitement towards the name Robert Andrew Magnus. The adoption had been easy, but now came the hard part, the transition for both himself and Magnus. Magnus had to now transition to life as a full-fledged Father, with his own new duties to handle. Though many he had learned while taking care of him earlier, Magnus now had many financial, parental, and life obligations. Sighing a bit, Robbie stared around his bedroom, which Magnus had now decorated more to his liking now that everything was official.

He had a large, comfortable, queen sized bed, with blue covers and an Autobot Shield on it. A new laptop set on top of a brand new desk, metal, and a gorgeous. The bookshelf was now stocked with books and DVD's as well as Blu Rays, which went to the flat-screen TV attached to the wall and Blu Ray player. Robbie never expected to come home from the courthouse to all of this, so he practically collapsed. Entering the room slowly, he turned to Magnus, who leaned against the doorframe, smiling. "All for me?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yep, I told you, the plain accommodations were only because we weren't sure if it'd all be official." Magnus tilted his head calmly, he smiled a bit "I ordered all of this earlier in the month, and had Will help movers set it up while we were out. I do hope it's to your liking. Will said that it would be a teenager's paradise but well..." Magnus robbed the back of his helm slightly, looking down at Robbie calmly "I'm new to this, and well... As you humans would put it, I may have failed miserably." He commented.

Robbie smiled a bit, turning towards Magnus, he shook his head a little. "Are you kidding Dad? I love it! This is like my dream room." Robbie commented, hopping onto the bed calmly, it seemed to rock as he landed, his eyes widened a little, looking up at Magnus "You even got me the water bed!" He questioned.

"Never say I don't spoil my boy." Magnus replied, winking playfully.

The mech was incredibly relieved this was all over. Now he and Robbie could get on with their lives, he could continue raising Robbie, with no fear of him being taken away from him. Taking a deep breath, Magnus entered the bedroom taking a look around to make sure all of his order was present. He was relieved to find not a thing missing. He had been warned to look by Will, considering he had paid with goverment funds, and the last thing he needed was to be ripped off. "So Dad, how does it feel?" Robbie questioned.

"How does what feel?"

"Finally being my Dad, what do you think?" Robbie chuckled slightly at him he stared up a bit "Wasn't it you who waited like since the stone age to have a kid?" He questioned.

Magnus let out a hardy laugh, shaking his head a bit, he stared down at the boy slowly. He wasn't sure how he could easily put into words, knowing the boy before him was his son, his. To love unconditionally and care for, it was a feeling unlike anything he had experienced. It was especially comforting to know he'd never have to worry about Robbie being in Foster Care, with someone like Jerry taking care of him. He was his now, and he'd never do anything to him. "I don't think I could tell you Robert... I have a mass of feelings right now." He commented honestly, taking a deep breath "I hope you're as happy as I am though." He added.

"Probably even happier."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Magnus jested, taking a deep breath, he looked down at Robbie "I'll leave you to play around in here a bit. But I'll be back later, we'll go out and celebrate. Sound good?" He questioned evenly.

Robbie nodded his head in response, allowing Magnus to leave. The large mech left with a great deal of happiness within his spark. He could only hope that, from here on out, nothing could go wrong. Sadly for him, now that the 'Fostering' days were over, he now was about to face a whole new ball game: Real parenthood.


	14. Chapter 14

So I apparently have more to tell in this story. :) While I am stopping writing fan-fictions come November (going out with a major fan-script I'm writing) in order to move onto my original works, that gives me a full five months. So what the hay, figured I'd continue on with it. Hope you all enjoy the latest chapter!

...

**CHAPTER 14**

Two months as an Autobot so-to-speak, and Robbie was already missing human doctors. Of course, there were a great many on the base, but Ratchet refused to allow him to see them. Ratchet was the 'AUTOBOT' Medic, Robbie, being the son of Ultra Magnus and therefor nephew of his leader, was an Autobot. At least, that was how the large, yellow mech decided to explain it whenever they attempted to convince him to do otherwise. Having no sparklings himself, he took a certain fondness of Robbie, the youngest among the Autobot faction, and thus, he had no say in the matter. "Primus almighty, youngling. I haven't seen so many scrapes since Bumblebee chipped his paint job at yer age." Ratchet jested the young human as he cleaned off the boy's arm "What was this sport you said you were playing, again?" He questioned.

"Pick up Football with some of the other kids on base." Robbie shrugged his shoulders a bit, looking into the large mech's optics "They said it would be fun, but you know... I'm not exactly the biggest kid around, so... Yeah, it may not have been the best idea." He chuckled a bit, looking down.

Ratchet tilted his head at Robbie, he never understood the young human's humor. How he could find humor in getting hurt during something that was, as far as he knew, supposed to be fun, was beyond the mech's comprehension. None the less though, he let himself smile a bit, snorting, he looked down at the boy. "Your Father and Uncle liked to rough around a lot too. But I don't recommend going up against those bigger then you." He shook his head a little "My father had enough of a hard time with the three of us when we were your age. How the mech put up with it is beyond me." He admitted.

"You? Rough housing? Tell me you're kidding."

The medic let out another snort at Robbie's surprise, bending down so he'd see him eye-to-optic. "I'll have you know there was a time where I was a 'jock' in human terms. Do you think just because we don't hail from Earth, we had no sports of our own?" Ratchet asked, as if completely offended by the statement "Slag, yer Father was one of the best sports players at Autobot Academy. Of course, back then it was know as Iacon Academy, as it was before the war." He added.

"Boring my son with stories of our schooling, Hatchet?"

Robbie turned his head towards Magnus, who had entered the room calmly. The mech would have been there sooner, had he not been deployed the night before. Robbie was still becoming accustomed to the nights where Magnus would leave, and not return until the next day. It was difficult, especially considering he could be gone anywhere from early the next morning, to the late hours of the next night. But slowly he was beginning to learn how it worked, after all, he knew long before he was adopted it was going to happen. "Hey, nothing wrong with his Uncle Ratchet letting him in on what we were like, right?" Ratchet jested, shaking his head "Not like you all don't have your stories about me." He added.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Magnus nodded a bit, turning towards Robbie "You okay l'il man? I hear you got roughed up a bit."

"I'm tough, I took worse beatings with you-know-who. Compared to that, I feel like a feather hit me." Robbie replied honestly, noting Magnus's frown, he decided to change the subject "Anyways, I'm fine, just got tackled, it's not like it isn't what's supposed to happen in football." He turned his head towards Ratchet calmly "Am I good to go Doc?" He questioned.

"Yeah, yeah, take it easy though, you'll be sore for a while." Ratchet commented, staring down at him "I don't want ye in here again before our session." He added.

Robbie smiled, allowing Magnus to scoop him into his palm before setting him onto his shoulder. They exited the Med Bay calmly, Magnus still seemed tense at the mere mention of Jerry, so Robbie convinced himself to let his Father cool down a bit. He knew he shouldn't talk about him, especially now that he was his adoptive Father, but teenagers didn't always think straight. The fact that Jerry did sometimes stalk around Robbie's school lately didn't help matters at all, it had only served to make Magnus very weary of Robbie being alone. "Why did you bring that up again?" Magnus questioned, optics turning towards him "The fragger hasn't tried anything, has he?" He questioned.

"No I don't think he's going to either." Robbie admitted, staring at him "He knows what my family is. And no matter how tough he acts, he isn't about to mess with a Mack Truck, Peterbuilt, and Comaro." He added, staring at Magnus calmly "I just think he's erm... I don't know, trying to scare me I guess." He added, laying against his shoulder "He knows you could find me if he ever tried to kidnap me or anything, I mean, Jerry a bastard, but he isn't totally stupid." He added.

"Not to mention Ratchet, don't know if you've noticed, but he's fond of ye too." Magnus poked his son in the stomach playfully "My whole platoon too, slag, Mirage likes you, and I didn't think Mirage liked _anybody_." He jested, putting his hands on his hips "It just worries me sometimes, I don't like the fact that you saw him near your school." He shook his head lightly "If he ever-." He began.

"Dad, don't worry about it." Robbie replied, shaking his head "You assigned Mirage as my 'Guardian' and everything. As long as he's parked outside my school, he wouldn't get the chance." He added, thinking for a moment, he crossed his arms "Come to think of it, the whole reason he might be there is to stare at Mirage. He always was a sports car nut." He admitted.

The prospect didn't make Magnus feel any better. He had assigned Mirage to be Robbie's guardian for a reason. Ever since Robbie had been kidnapped, he and Mirage had become close, Robbie trusted him, and Mirage cared about him a great deal. For this reason, Mirage had been the right mech to assign as Robbie's Guardian, or rather, bodyguard. The fact that it might be attracting Jerry to the school almost frightened him. Though he had to say, if Jerry ever went near Mirage, he was rather positive the red mech would be less then pleasant. "Well, if that's the case, I hope for our sake he never goes near Mirage. I fear what he'd do to scum like him would get the lot of us in trouble with Prime." Magnus smiled, attempting to brighten the mood, he gained a chuckle from Robbie "Mirage isn't exactly a fair fighter after all, and he did hurt you."

"Mirage told me if he ever did more then watch me, he'd mysteriously go missing." Robbie replied with a small laugh.

"Laugh all you want, but I know Mirage well, he doesn't like those that dare hurt the few people he's close to. Wheeljack, the Platoon, you..." Magnus mused, looking around thoughtfully, he shook his head a bit "Mirage is a very possessive mech in many ways. He doesn't like harm being done to those he considers his closest friends." He shook his head "I've seen him actually snarl at some one for cracking a joke about Wheeljack's failed inventions." He chuckled a bit.

Robbie laughed in response, though he knew that already, Mirage was often very protective. If he saw him even within a foot of any group of students doing anything the least bit shifty, it often got him a blaring car alarm and some sort of excuse. Mirage often explained it as that he had grown up in a bad part of Iacon, and therefore was weary of those people. It explained a lot, but at the same time, Robbie felt the red mech could be too overbearing, whether he realized it or not. "Yeah, well, then you have nothing to worry about, right? Mirage will keep me safe, and so will you." He commented, sighing a bit, he yawned, leaning back "Man football wore me out big time." He admitted.

"Perhaps I should getcha into bed then, huh?" Magnus smiled, watching the boy shrug a bit "Hey, that wasn't really a question, it's late m'boy. Winter Break or not, you need to get your rest, especially after rough-housing all afternoon." He added with a snort.

Robbie smirked up at the mech slightly, feeling a metal finger gently run down his spine. It was soothing, a feeling Robbie, after all this time, wasn't used to feeling. But regardless, he was happy with where he was at the moment, where he was living. It didn't matter if Jerry was watching him, school was on break, for all they knew once school was back in he'd have given up. Sighing a bit as they entered his bedroom, he let Magnus lift him off his shoulder and set him in the bed calmly, pulling the sheet and comforter over him and tucking him in. "You have to get deployed tonight?" Robbie questioned looking over.

"Nah, I just got back. They'll send someone else out tonight if we're needed, with any luck." Magnus replied, sighing a bit, he crouched down, laying a careful kiss against the boy's forehead "Get some sleep kiddo, I'll see you in the morning." He added.

Robbie watched Magnus leave and close the door behind him, looking toward the wall quietly. Though he didn't admit it, no matter how protective Mirage or Magnus were, the fact Jerry was watching _did_ scare him. The last thing he needed was Jerry going after him, trying to pull something. The man was just psychotic enough to do it, even he knew that. Shifting on the water bed, which he was happy to have that night, as it would rock him to sleep, he let himself doze off in hopes that he would convince himself to forget Jerry. "He can't hurt you anymore Robbie." He reminded himself before he allowed the dreams to overtake his fears.


	15. Chapter 15

Now that we're going a bit into Mirage's personality, thought I'd be best to clarify. :) Both Mirage and Wheeljack will go by what I know about their movie personalities, rather then G1. I will however, be using some of their G1 backstories, their personalities however, will be movie based. :)

...

**CHAPTER 15**

Having Mirage as your friend, let alone your Guardian had many perks in Robbie's mind. Starting with the fact he was a Ferari, who drove you around. Of course, it looked like he was getting a ride from someone anyway considering Robbie was only fourteen, and not yet able to drive, but regardless. He sighed a bit, leaning against his hood as they settled on the Lookout just near the outskirts of Tranquility. It was there that he spent the most time outside of the base or not with Alex, or in school. Sighing a bit, Robbie climbed off of Mirage's hood calmly. "Everything okay Robbie, you seem a bit distracted." Mirage noted, headlights watching his young charge "What's bugging ye squirt?" He questioned.

"Nothing Mirage, I'm... Fine, just tired." Robbie attempted to lie, though he never was that good at it "I don't see a reason to start panicking, do you?" Robbie jested to him, Mirage only chuckled in obvious agreement.

Mirage transformed behind Robbie calmly, looking down at the boy carefully. He knew Robbie well, he had spent a lot of time getting to know him. He knew that Robbie was lying to him, it was hard to keep secrets from the mech that drove him around and protected him after all. "Alright squirt, I'm no idiot. What's the matter?" Mirage questioned, putting his hands on his hips, and staring down "You're my charge, I know you like the back of my hand. And I know when something's bothering you." He went quiet for a moment, then groaned "Jerry again?" Robbie nodded his head slowly "The fragging glitch isn't around, is he?" He questioned.

"No, but it's bothering me, Mirage. I mean, I know you'd never let him hurt me Mirage." Robbie admitted, turning around, and staring up at his Guardian "But man, I'm just waiting for the day you're not with me and he decides to actually pull something." He shook his head a bit "You can't protect me forever Mirage, even I know that." He commented.

Mirage turned his head toward the horizon slightly, thoughtfully staring into the distance. Mirage wished Robbie wouldn't think that way, after all, he was to Robbie, what Bumblebee was to Sam. He had sworn an oath to Prime to protect Robbie as his guardian, no matter what happened. Primus knew he'd keep that oath regardless of what happened, even if it meant at some point he'd be hurt doing so. "Well he'd better hope he doesn't. If he ever slagging does, I'll show him how we settled slag like this in South Praxia." He told Robbie with a slight snarl "Y'hear me? You're rolling with Mirage now, and I am not the type to follow Prime's 'no harming humans' rule every day." He admitted.

Robbie chuckled at Mirage's determination, especially as he had been scared of him when they first met. Yet now, Mirage was easily one of Robbie's best friends, he knew he could go to him for just about anything. Mirage was like a second Father in a sense, he felt safe around him and secure. When Mirage or Magnus weren't around, and he wasn't on base, Robbie often felt a certain amount of paranoia for obvious reasons. Between Jerry and the Decepticons, there was quite a bit to worry about. "Thanks Mirage, I know you're right, I guess there are just times I'm nervous." Robbie admitted.

"Understandable, squirt. Just remember, I have two arm blades, a cannon, and two wrist guns." Mirage snorted, clearly bragging, though Robbie was used to it by now "There are so many things I can do to your former caretaker, and I'll thoroughly enjoy using on him, given the chance." He added bluntly.

Robbie nodded his head a bit, leaning against Mirage's leg, he nodded a bit in agreement. He knew Mirage was serious, he had a lot of weapons, and pissing him off was an even bigger mistake then pissing off Ironhide from what he understood. Sighing a bit, he put his hands in his pockets, looking up at Mirage. "Sun's going down, we should get going shouldn't-?" Robbie quickly noted the hand on the side of Mirage's head, groaning a bit "What's going on now?" He questioned.

"Stay put Robbie, I'll be right back."

"Hell no! I'm getting tired of the secrecy, come on Mirage." Mirage stopped walking away from Robbie calmly, turning his head "I'm fourteen years old, shouldn't I be allowed to know what's going on? Slag, Sam is taken on missions sometimes. Take me along for once." He commented.

Mirage frowned at Robbie, for a kid so tormented by the Decepticons when he first met him, Robbie acted odd at times. The fact he even thought for a moment he'd risk that surprised Mirage, he knew how dangerous the war was. Even the smallest sighting they had to investigate was potentially a very dangerous situation. Mirage shook his head slightly, scanning around, he could find no sign of anything even remotely resembling an adult male human, so he was confident Robbie would be fine alone for a half an hour, at most. "I'll be back Robbie, you stay put." Mirage commented flatly.

He was transformed and out of there before Robbie could even argue. Groaning, the teenager planted himself near a tree at the top crest of the lookout. "Enjoying yourself, Robert?" Robbie was on his feet at once at Jerry's voice, the man moved forward a bit "Relax, I'm not here to hurt you. If I was, I think you know me well enough to know... I would have done it already." The boy backed up slightly, glaring at him coldly "Now come on, give me the benefit of the doubt, kid. You come into my house, the roof I put over your head. Bring one of those..." He pointed in the direction Mirage had gone in "_Freaks_, who attacks me. And then you get my ass taken out of the Foster Care Program?" He spat at the ground in front of Robbie "You owe me five minutes Robert." He added flatly.

"I owe you nothing Jerry, you brought that on yourself." Robbie turned his head, hoping Mirage was around, that it was an illusion by Mirage to see how he'd react, but he was nowhere to be found "What the hell do you want, huh? You want to hurt me again for leaving you without my inheritance to mooch off of?" He shook his head "If you touch me, those 'freaks' as you called them, will hunt you down an what my Dad did to you will look like _nothing_." His voice was shaky, but none-the-less, Robbie attempted to hide the fear he felt.

"Oh please Robbie, what the fuck are they going to do?" Jerry told him, pushing the boy slightly "There's none of them around, I waited for your bodyguard to leave. Lucky me, guy looks a bit scary, scarier then that piece of scrap metal you for some reason call your Father." Jerry snorted slightly "Come on Robert, do you REALLY want to be with them? To just turn your back on your own fucking species? What can they provide for you? Huh? What have they done for you?" He asked, coldly.

"A loving home, family, somewhere I belong." Robbie replied shakily "More then a bastard like you could ever provide."

"You watch your mouth."

Jerry grasped Robbie's jaw, tightly, pulling him forward so he would look him in the eyes. Jerry jumped back quickly as a blast landed no more then an inch from his nose. Robbie backed up quickly as Mirage stalked his way forward, one of his shoulder mounted cannons still trained on Jerry. "You have less then two seconds to _leave_, otherwise, the next blast won't miss." Mirage snarled, Jerry stood rooted on spot, obviously terrified "You think I'm kidding fragger? You crossed a line right there, _bitch_." Robbie's jaw dropped, having never heard Mirage use a human curse before "Now LEAVE!" He added.

Jerry glared at Robbie, but slowly turned and left, not about to pick a fight with a being so much bigger then him. Mirage waited until he was sure Jerry was gone before retracting his shoulder cannons, turning his head towards Robbie, who was shaking, obviously unnerved by what had just transpired. "Come on, let's get you home." He commented, transforming quickly "Before he goes after you again." He noted.

Robbie was in his passengers seat within moments, not even hesitating. Mirage sped off within moments, not even bothering to look back with his rearview mirror. Jerry watched the two leave, turning his head a bit, he looked toward the Freighter Truck calmly, Megatron gave a rumble of his engines. "I think we got our point across well enough Megatron." Jerry patted the side of the truck slowly, shaking his head a bit "Now, about our deal..." He began.

"You'll get the fleshling's inheritance once we've lured my brothers into a trap." Megatron's raspy voice replied, cold and blunt as ever in his reply to Jerry "Now we know the boy is left alone, we can formulate our next move. You have done well, Jerald, you _will _be rewarded." He added.

Jerry smirked rather wickedly at the thought of getting exactly what he wanted from the boy. Megatron wanted Robbie for leverage over his brothers, Jerry only wanted his money, that's all he ever wanted, it was a win-win situation Jerry would have been stupid to pass up. Megatron's passenger's side door opened slowly, allowing Jerry to climb inside before closing, Megatron opened a space bridge, and was through it long before Mirage's scanners could possibly pick up the flux of energy.

...

"And he didn't make any attempts to hurt you otherwise?"

Robbie stared at Magnus, it was a few hours later, and the two were in Robbie's room discussing Jerry's appearance. It was around the time Robbie was crawling into bed, and afforded them some alone time together to discuss it. To say Magnus was concerned would be an understatement, the fact Jerry had so openly made a move to harm Robbie unnerved him. Shaking his head a bit, Robbie looked down, taking a few deep breaths. "I think he would have had Mirage not shown up when he did. He really wasn't happy with what happened, and he blames me for it." Robbie admitted quietly, looking the mech in the optics "I'm scared Dad." He commented.

"Don't be." Magnus told him quietly, pulling the blankets over his son carefully "I won't let him or anyone else do harm to you Robert. It'll be over my lifeless chasis that... Monster ever has his hands on you again." He noted.

Robbie nodded slightly, allowing the metal lips to brush against his forehead in a kiss. The first few times, it had been admittedly weird to feel the heavy lips against him, but now it was a truly warm, comforting feeling that he looked forward to each night. Even when he was asleep, the mech's power made it easy to feel. He smiled a bit, though it remained forced after all that had taken place, looking at Magnus a bit, he looked down. "I just hope you don't... You know... Get hurt protecting me." He commented.

"Robert, better I'm hurt then you are." Magnus told him genuinely, making his way toward the door, he stared back at Robbie "If the time ever came, I would happily give my spark to save you Robbie. That is why you will never have a reason to be afraid. I would protect you with my spark." He commented, patting his chestplate for evidence "Optimus and I will go into Tranquility tomorrow and see if we cannot settle things with Jerry civilly." He added "I've already spoken to him on the subject after Mirage told me what happened. He believed we should at least attempt to make peace." He added.

Robbie nodded a bit. "Love you Dad." He murmured, feeling sleep starting to overtake him.

"Love you too Robbie, recharge well, my son." Magnus nodded slightly, checking the alarms in Robbie's room carefully, closing the door on his way out.

Magnus could only hope that, by some miracle, they could settle things with Jerry calmly and humanely. The last thing he needed to worry about was one more threat to his son that wasn't a Decepticon.

...

For those wondering about Megatron's alt form, Megatron uses his Dark of the Moon Alt Mode in the story. As do most of the other Transformers.


	16. Chapter 16

I decided to add one more character into the mix. I've been debating on this for the last few days. But I like this character I came up with, so I figure, why not? Which is why the summary has slightly changed. It'll now be two intertwining stories. That of Robbie and Magnus, who we followed as main characters the last fifteen chapters. And that of Aaron and Optimus, Aaron, we meet here. :)

...

**CHAPTER 16**

There were few slow days on base anymore, but when he got them, Robbie thoroughly enjoyed. The Autobots, in the middle of a war or not, knew how to have a very good time. Given what had happened the day before, Robbie was, needless to say, happy to just relax for the day. The Autobots had High Grade Energon, some told old war stories to any of the younger humans around who cared to hear them. Normally tons of the kids gathered around Ratchet and Ironhide, who, to Robbie's knowledge, told some of the best war stories of all. Bumblebee, as usual, was around, with Sam and Carly in toe. Optimus and Magnus told stories too, Robbie often found himself especially drawn in by his Uncle's stories. Being the Autobot leader he had more then a handful of epic ones.

The only other human that really clung to the stories as much as Robbie did was a young man named Aaron. He was about the same age as Robbie, though his hair was a blond color, and his eyes dark blue. Robbie often took note of Aaron for the sheer fact he tended to spend a lot of time with Optimus. He hadn't gathered much on him, other then the fact that he had lost his parents, both NEST Operatives, a little over a year ago. He stayed as a ward, much to Galloway's dismay, and Optimus seemed to fill in the gap his parents left behind as a sort of mentor. Either way, next to Robbie, Sam, and Carly, Aaron seemed to be the teen that was closest to the Autobots, even if it only was to his Uncle.

"Hey Robbie." Speak of the devil, Robbie turned his head towards Aaron calmly "A bunch of us were thinking of sneaking out for a drink in a bit, you in?" Robbie stared at him with his lip pursed, knowing he very well meant alcohol "Come on man, we're not going to drink any of the hard stuff. Cameron only scored us a little beer from the base stash." He chuckled a bit.

Robbie stared at Aaron, then over at Magnus and Optimus, who seemed to be telling a joint story to a few of the small children. He knew full well that if they were caught, Magnus would be extremely furious, and Optimus would likely go from mentor to parental on Aaron. He had seen it before, heck, even if Optimus wasn't his legal guardian, he had seen the mech _ground _Aaron before. "Aaron, you know Magnus would kill me and Optimus would not be happy with you very much either." Aaron rolled his eyes at Robbie slightly "Come on man, drinking isn't-."

"You spend so much time around Magnus you're starting to sound like him." Aaron commented, staring at Optimus, and simply waving at his curious glance "Though I guess you have more to loose since you are the actual son of an Autobot. Worst Optimus has the right to do is send me to my room, on occasion, ground me. Hell for all either one of us knows, he wouldn't care." Aaron commented, rolling his eyes a bit "Come on, honestly dude, I know you were fostered but how many times do I have to explain... I'm not." He commented.

Robbie stared after Aaron as he made his way through the crowd of kids. Reckless as he was, Robbie was fully convinced Aaron in his own way, wished Optimus was fostering him. Why he'd want to be put in that kind of danger was beyond Robbie's comprehension in some ways. Of course, he didn't actually know how close he and Optimus were, for all he knew, Optimus had the same bond with Aaron that Magnus had with him, and never really acted on it beyond a mentor level. Robbie turned his head as Optimus stepped through the crowd, making his way toward Robbie. "Is everything okay?" Optimus questioned "Where did Aaron go?" He questioned.

"I'm not sure I should say." Robbie shrugged "He didn't really mention where _exactly_ he was going though."

Optimus shook his head slightly, moving past Robbie slowly. He knew very well what Aaron was likely doing, and as usual, it was his job to stop him.

...

The calm night air calmed Aaron much more then if he had the alcohol. Why he felt the need to drink out his problems every so often, especially at fourteen years old was beyond him. He wasn't an attention whore by any means, he never had been, there were just days where he felt he honestly couldn't take it anymore. There were even days he, on occasion, wished he had simply gone into Foster Care. Optimus was the closest thing he had to a Father now, and in that aspect, Bumblebee was like an older brother to him. But it wasn't the same as actually having a family, and it never would be. "Glad to see I don't have to take a beer bottle away from you." Aaron jumped slightly his head turning to the side as Optimus stepped from the shadows "Do you need to talk about it?" He questioned.

"It's nothing Optimus, I just... I had a nightmare last night and it's still bugging me." Aaron replied, not even turning to look at the mech "I didn't mean to take you away from your storytelling Prime, you should go back inside, the little kids are probably waiting." He commented.

Optimus watched his young friend quietly, the deck they were on had a rather vivid view of the ocean. On clear nights like this, when the sky was starless, Optimus often found it to be as beautiful and peaceful as anything else he had experienced on Earth. It calmed him just as much as it tended to calm Aaron. Taking a deep breath, Optimus's optics turned to Aaron, taking several steps forward until he was beside the young boy. "They can continue to wait. You are my first concern when I am not dealing with the Decepticons, you know this." Optimus commented, Aaron didn't so much as look up at him "Aaron, talk to me kiddo. I can't help if you don't." He commented softly.

"It was just the funeral Prime, not even anything to get worked up about." Aaron turned around, looking up at the large leader slowly "Getting concerned over that with a war being fought would be stupid. I'm not your kid, your foster kid, or your adopted kid. So don't-." He began to add.

"I have however, taken responsibility for taking care of you. Foster son, adopted son, or otherwise." Optimus quickly interrupted "I have lost count of the amount of times I have explained that you're not facing any of this alone Aaron. This year alone I would count a hundred times if I went back far enough in my databanks." He rubbed the back of his helm "I am sorry I have not been around, I understand how much my absence may bother you." He took a deep breath.

Aaron looked at Optimus, trying his best to keep a tough personality, and even tough features. If there was one thing that Aaron disliked, it was being vulnerable around Optimus. He didn't know why, and he certainly couldn't explain why, but he just disliked even letting a tear shed. Crossing his arms at the cold night air, he looked back out towards the ocean with a deep breath. "It's okay, you haven't made any commitments beyond providing support." He shrugged his shoulders a bit "Just because you and my Dad were close doesn't mean you have to worry about everything that happens to me."

"Regardless, I know what my support means to you Aaron, and I am... Quite sorry that I have not been around." Optimus stared down at the young boy, optics never leaving his tiny form "I know I was supposed to be around this morning. But unforeseen circumstances came up. We had to deal with Robbert's former caretaker." He shook his head slightly "He doesn't live where he used to anymore. And as such... It's been a rather hard day." He shook his head "None-the-less, I shouldn't shirk my responsibilities to my own children." He added.

Aaron's eyes closed shut, tightly, he shook his head a bit. He hated hearing Optimus use the 'c' word, he wasn't his son, he hadn't been his son, and for reasons even Aaron understood he likely never would be. Hearing the word simply made him feel like Optimus only ever used it to make him feel like he has a spot within Optimus's family. But between his sparkmate, the still missing Elita-1, his son, Bumblebee, Robbie, and Ultra Magnus, Aaron was positive that Optimus had enough on his plate in terms of family. "I'm not your son Optimus, hell I'm not anything." Aaron replied, putting his hands in his pockets "I really appreciate you saying that, don't get me wrong, but it's things like that, that..." He bit his lip just short of finishing his statement "Anyways, I'm gonna, go say goodnight to everyone and go to bed." He stated.

Optimus watched him leave, less then stunned at what Aaron had just said to him. Though he never spoke of it to Aaron, Optimus had formed a bond with him soon following his parents demise, which is what caused comments like that to sometimes be spoken. A certain level of pain entered Optimus's spark whenever Aaron corrected him, but at the same time, he understood where he came from. Optimus had taken no steps to make Aaron his child, and because of that, he knew it pained Aaron to be referred to as Optimus's son. Many Autobots, including himself, had made the mistake, and often regretted it. It wasn't that he hadn't considered it, many times in fact, but rather that he was concerned with putting a human into that kind of danger. He already worried of the day the Decepticons learned of his human friend enough, making him his son would ensure they would find out, and they _would_ take advantage of him.

Optimus sighed, staring into the distance and allowing his thoughts to stray a bit. Perhaps it was time to start thinking of adding Aaron to the family. Robbie had been taken in with little-to-no difficulty, beyond Galloway trying to interfere, and failing. After a year of being under his careful watch, Optimus was positive he could adopt Aaron even more easily. "Soon you will be Aaron." He whispered, looking after the boy as he entered the room yet again "I promise..." He added.

The mech took one last look to the horizon, before turning and walking back towards the room himself. He would give more thought to the subject once he had finished his story to the other young humans. Perhaps, in doing so, it would allow him some much needed time to think the situation over.


	17. Chapter 17

Got Dark of the Moon Voyager Optimus and Ironhide tonight! Woot!

...

**CHAPTER 17**

It took Aaron all of ten minutes to realize something was up, Optimus had called him into his office, something he rarely did. Usually it meant he was in trouble, however Optimus hadn't had that tone in his voice at all. It almost seemed to be one of nervousness and concern. The first thing Aaron noticed, entering his office, was that two official looking men exited the room as he entered. Optimus was looking over paperwork, that was the second thing he noticed, something he rarely saw the mech doing. Optimus's optics looked forward, staring at Aaron, he motioned for a human sized seat, which Aaron took. "Aaron, I gave a great deal of thought into what you told me last night." Optimus began, as usual the massive mech got right to the point "I understand how you feel Aaron, the men who just left were with Social Services." He looked down upon Aaron, who's mouth was already agape "If we are going to go through with this Aaron, I need to be sure it really _is_ what you want." He added.

Every word that Aaron tried to utter seemed to be caught in his throat. Had Optimus actually just thrown this on him, what he never thought he'd hear. What he was prepared to never hear from the leader? He had understood very well that being Optimus's son would put him in a great deal of danger. He had multiple times regretfully accepted Optimus's decision to just keep a watchful eye on him. But here he was, clearly holding what must have been Adoption Request forms, talking about taking him in despite all of this. "Prime, in that conversation last night I wasn't trying to force you to adopt me." Aaron immediately stated, nervous without a doubt "I'm so sorry, I-." He began.

"Aaron, I have thought this over longer then simply last night. Last night simply opened my optics to the fact you too have thought of this." Optimus stated quietly, speaking in a soft, comforting baritone "If you are, indeed willing to accept the danger you will be putting yourself in. I am more then willing to add you to my family." He added rather calmly, stepping forward, standing in front of his desk and leaning back "As far as I am concerned, Aaron, you have been as much of a member of this family as Robert is. This would simply make it official." He admitted calmly.

Aaron rubbed the side of his arm nervously, looking up at Optimus. The thought of Optimus becoming his Father, of him becoming, well, an Autobot, was a hard one to picture. Optimus for so long had been what he considered to be one of his best friends. But now he'd find himself seeing him in a much different light, as a parent. It almost felt, in a way, like doing so would betray his parents, after all, they had loved him, it wasn't like Robbie who had a hard time, he had had a good life before their deaths. "Prime, I don't know... I'm willing to handle that stuff, but my parents..."

"Would be much happier if you had a family supporting you." Optimus seated himself down in front of the desk, staring at Aaron slowly "Aaron, as far as I'm concerned, you need someone more then just a guardian. You need a family, someone who will be able to love and care for you. I know you miss that, no matter how tough you pretend to be tough." He smiled a bit, reaching a finger forward, he rubbed Aaron's cheek gently "I am more then willing to make you my full responsibility. I can assure you, you'd be being adopted into an excellent family." He added.

"Wouldn't Aaron Prime give away who I was?"

"Your last name would be Pax, Aaron. That is my given name prior to becoming a leader, Orion Pax." Optimus explained, staring at his charge calmly "Prime is a title, not a name, and therefore I cannot legally in my terms give it to you." He admitted.

Aaron stared at Optimus quietly, this was a very tough decision for him. He knew Optimus was sincere, there had never been a time that he hadn't been. But at the same time, this was a huge step for Aaron, this would mean starting over, a whole new life. He'd be entering a family in politics, and while he did want to be a diplomat he didn't want to be forced into it so-to-speak. If Optimus was his Father it was very possible it'd be expected of him. Regardless though, Optimus was doing exactly what he had truly wished he would, offering to adopt him. Despite the fact he was a leader of an entire faction, his concern had gone to him over all of this. "Well I guess I could I mean..." Aaron smiled at Optimus "I'd love that." He finally manged to tell him.

"Well then, I do have conditions." Optimus stated, watching Aaron slowly "No more alcohol, I was far too easy on you, and the last thing I need is dealing with an alcohol issue." Aaron nodded his head, understanding where he was coming from "Two: You will attend Private School. I know it is no teenager's first choice. But as my son, I'll feel _much_ more comfortable with you at school if it is a Private School. Where there are guards, and most of all metal detectors." He admitted, smiling at him genuinely "Can you do that for me Aaron?" He questioned.

Aaron looked at Optimus, the alcohol he could do, Private School would be hard to adjust to. But he knew it was for his own safety, Optimus wanted to keep him safe, especially if he was going to now make him a part of his family. Nodding his head slowly, he stared Optimus in the optics. "It'll be hard to adjust to Private School, but I can do it." He admitted with a smile.

The sigh of relief that escaped the leader was something Aaron had never heard before. Feeling the hands scoop him up and pull him to his chest in a huge was probably the warmest feeling Aaron had experienced in nearly a year. The large robot set him down gently upon his desk before seating himself behind it. He sighed a bit, setting some papers in front of Aaron calmly. "I need you to sign a few things Aaron, custody papers. Since you are a ward, I need your consent to take you into my custody." Optimus explained with a smile "Sign where you need to." He added.

Aaron looked over the forms Opitmus had set in front of him, feeling knots forming in his stomach. If he signed this over, there was no turning back, Optimus would have legal custody of him. He'd, for the moment, be his Foster Father until everything was hopefully settled and he'd be his son for good. He shakily took the pen Optimus offered him, but taking a deep inward breath, signed where he was supposed to, hopefully, all would go as smoothly as it had for Robbie. Even if Aaron knew, considering who Optimus was, while he might hope for an easy adoption process, it would likely be anything but.

...

"No! No! Absolutely _not_!"

Optimus, being a peaceful mech, held himself back from barking back at Theodore Galloway. The more the man opened his mouth, the more he tended to annoy and upset Optimus. The mech was happy that Galloway truly didn't have a say in this half of the affairs of the Autobots. They had legal rights just like anyone else, Galloway, whether he liked it or not, could not deny Optimus Aaron's adoption. Only be against it. "Mr. Galloway, I was given financial responsibility of Aaron Baxter a year ago." He put his hands on the railing of the catwalk carefully, leaning forward to stare the man face-to-face "As far as I'm concerned I have every right to adopt Aaron, and I do believe your Presidential Leader would agree." He added.

"We agreed to give you FINANCIAL responsibility over him. We agreed to let you put him through school, yeah. But to let someone in your standing take in a child." Galloway glared up at Optimus, shaking his head slowly, he kicked the side of the bars "The lot of you have already put one child in the line of danger by taking him into your family. Now you want to take _two _of them?" He shook his head glumly "No, that is not right!" He added.

"With all due respect Mr. Galloway." William Lennox spoke up, the word 'respect' tasting like poison in his mouth "Optimus has taken care of Aaron since the moment his parents were murdered in Kawait last year. Optimus has already been a Father to him, he's just wanting to make it official." He commented, looking at the mech and nodding "Unlike Robbie, Aaron is already a part of his family, it's just like taking in a family friend. Something I'm aware you've done in the past Galloway." He added.

"That was different, I am _not_ the leader of an alien race currently at war!"

"And for that, you are lucky. Aaron however is aware of the danger this might bring to him." Optimus stated lowly, looking toward his shoulder, where the young boy sat silently perched "He wants this, it was not my choice 'at random' as humans would say. Aaron voiced his concerns about our relationship to me, and I chose to act upon his wishes." He took a deep breath, turning to Galloway "If you want to prevent my adoption of Aaron, go right ahead. Start a fight over it, however, I do assure you, even you know with your... Forgive me, prejudice, reasoning, you will never win it." He added by this point, nearly nose-to-nose with the Government official.

"And school? What about that Prime? You can't just let him be out in the open. You're a political and military leader."

"Arrangements have been made for Aaron to begin attending Tranquil Academy, a private school in Tranquility. Beginning in his second semester." Optimus crossed his arms slightly, staring Galloway down, he knew the man was loosing his argument, and quickly at that "Is it not obvious that I would know all of this Galloway?" He questioned, turning his optics towards Aaron "Aaron, do you have nothing to say in defense of this?" He questioned.

"You've already spoken for me." Aaron admitted, smiling a bit, he leaned his head against the crook of Optimus's neck "I like being with Prime, I _want_ him to be my Dad. I don't think there's much else I can say, is there?" He questioned.

Optimus smiled at Aaron fondly, nodding in approval, he knew this was all very awkward for Aaron. He had never been put in such a position, especially never in front of Galloway. Now, here he was, having to do both. Galloway groaned, glaring at both of them, Optimus backed up a bit. "Fine, you wanna try? Have fun with that Prime, just don't expect my support." He commented flatly, moving down the catwalk, down the ladder and out of the base.

Optimus, had he not been, well, himself, may have noted that he had never asked for it. But Galloway had butted in on his and Will's conversation on the subject. Aaron simply watched him go, arms crossed, tensed. He could feel Optimus rubbing hi back with a forefinger carefully. "This won't be easy." Aaron noted glumly.

"No, but it will be worth it." Optimus replied, honestly.

Optimus knew in the back of his processor that if Galloway opposed the idea so strongly, even more then he did with Magnus and Robbie. That it was very possible that he would not be the only one, and for any other human, he may have reconsidered. But he had known Aaron since he was seven, before his parents even died, he had watched him grow, and he cared too much about him to give him up without a fight.


	18. Chapter 18

One more chapter focusing on Aaron before shifting back to Robbie. I'm just making sure he's properly introduced into this story for a few chapters. :)

...

**CHAPTER 18**

Neither Aaron or Robbie wanted to be babysat, in fact, if anything Aaron was extremely annoyed. Of course, he had been glad to see Bumblebee, his soon-to-be, at the very least, older brother. But the last thing he wanted was to deal with him being his babysitter. On top of this, to say Bumblebee was ecstatic at the thought of a younger brother was a bit of an understatement. Robbie had got off easy, Alex had invited him to spend the night at his place, now Aaron was pretty much stuck with Bumblebee, Sam, and Carly for the night. Aaron tried his best not to blame the UN for having to listen Sam and his girlfriend argue over what movies were 'appropriate' for him, but in all honesty, there was nothing that could be done about it.

"You know this is why I tried to convince Optimus I don't need a babysitter." Aaron grumbled from beside Bumblebee, he stared at his foster brother slowly "Please tell me these arguments do not last that long." He added with a sigh.

"Usually? Anywhere from an hour to six." Aaron's head hung at Bumblebee's response, shifting on the couch "Don't worry bud, Prime'll be home soon and you won't have to handle it _that_ much longer." Aaron glared at Bubmlebee sharply, the yellow mech rubbing the back of his helm slightly "I get it, you shouldn't need it anyway. But slag, Prime was worse with me when I was growing up, consider yourself lucky." He added poking the young human in the stomach "Live a little kiddo, I swear you're such a stiff." He added.

Aaron grinned at Bumblebee a bit, he and Optimus always did know how to brighten his mood. As much as he didn't like to admit it, they both brought out a very different side of him that didn't often get brought out anymore. Aaron grinned a bit, resting his head against the mech's side. "I'll do that when you act your age." He teased the yellow mech right back, though only in a playful way.

Bumblebee smirked, tickling the boy's side briefly, Aaron began a rather loud giggle fit. This was the side of Aaron he had missed when his parents had died, the playful side. Now that he was becoming a part of his family, Bumblebee was going to make sure his little brother started living life again. The last thing he wanted was for Aaron to feel like he was just adopted and less important because of it. Bumblebee was both too caring, and too loving a mech to let that happen. "There's the happy little guy that disappeared on me." Bumblebee clicked slightly, staring down at him "You gonna pout any more?" He questioned, continuing to tickle the boy into submission.

"N-No Bee! I swear! I won't pout any more just please! Stop!" Aaron replied, trying his best to contain his hysterical laughter.

Bumblebee released his little brother slowly, letting the boy catch his breath. He knew he could've convinced him without the 'tickle torture' but frankly, what kind of an older brother would he be if he let Aaron off the hook that easily? Picking Aaron up, he set the young human onto his shoulder carefully, allowing him a better perch to view whatever movie they put on. "Fine we'll watch Scream 4. but if you give Aaron nightmares, you're explaining it to Prime!" Carly gave in, frustrated.

"He's fourteen frickin' years old Carly!" Sam rolled his eyes "It won't be _that _bad." He added.

...

Optimus wasn't sure whether to be amused or infuriated at the first sight that he found upon returning to base. Bumblebee was in the Rec Room with both Sam and Carly, it took him a few moments to find Aaron however, who was huddled behind Bumblebee's neck. The screams had, at first, made him think something was wrong, but clearly they were at the movie that Aaron had been forced to watch by his babysitters. Upon beholding the sight on-screen, a young woman, bloody, beaten, and gutted lying on her bed, it was obvious why. Why they were showing this to a boy that had quite literally turned fourteen less then a month ago was beyond his comprehension. Heck, he was a fully grown adult, in his sixties, by human standards and his mouth was hanging open, and his optic twitching. This made some of the things that took place in the war look absolutely tame.

"That is _enough_." Optimus moved over quickly turning off the television "What were the three of you thinking showing this to a barely **fourteen **year old?" He questioned, well aware a movie like that often scared kids, even if it many of them were able to handle the graphic violence, Aaron wasn't one of them.

Carly glared at Sam in a way that practically _screamed _'I told you so', Sam on the other hand, looked red as a tomato. "My boyfriend insisted it would be fine. In my defense, Optimus I have never seen any of the Scream movies until now." Carly stood up slowly, as did Sam "Aaron's alright isn't he?" She questioned.

Aaron, still shaking a bit, crawled out from behind Bumblebee's neck, waving at Optimus. He quickly recovered from the experience of fear he had just endured. "Who? Me? Oh come on, that was nothing. I've seen worse in PG thirteen movies!" He quickly lied, doing his best to forget the fact he was screaming like a little girl "I'm fine Prime, really." He added.

"Your bedtime was over an hour ago. And you didn't look fine on my end."

Aaron whistled a bit innocently at Optimus, trying to not look guilty. The problem was, Aaron normally couldn't lie to save his life, and he only succeeded in making himself look more guilty. He knew Optimus had set a bedtime for ten, he knew it was already eleven, maybe even twelve in the morning. Bumblebee carefully lifted him to the ground, allowing Aaron to make his way towards Optimus, who turned to the others. "Continue with your film watching if you wish... Lock the door, please. I fear how anyone other then me would react to that film." He flinched slightly as both exited the room.

"I'm in big trouble, aren't I?" Aaron questioned.

"No, you're not, though I wish you all would have had better judgement." Optimus replied calmly, picking Aaron up carefully "Then again, you and your brother both are little daredevils." He added, thinking back towards Bumblebee's younger days, he and Aaron were not much different personality-wise "You going to be alright, though? That was rather.. How would you humans say it, brutal?" Aaron nodded his head a bit "Good, I'd rather not have to see you go through the nightmares you went through not long ago." He admitted calmly.

"I'm fine Prime, no worries. I just am never watching Scream ever again. Or at least until that mental image goes away forever." Aaron admitted, chuckling a bit, he leaned his head again Optimus's chest slightly, rubbing his eyes calmly "I'm tired though, so I guess it doesn't matter, does it?" He sighed a bit, his eyes drooping a little.

He felt Optimus come to a stop in his room, setting him in bed, Aaron yawned slightly. Optimus surprised him as he felt the blankets nestle further over him until they were tucked under his chin. It didn't hit him until a moment later that Optimus had just tucked him into bed. That was something he had never done before, and it was a clear pleasant surprise to the fourteen year old. He felt Optimus's finger settle against his head, running down it gently. "Recharge well Aaron, my room is not far as you know." Optimus took a few steps forward, making it to the doorway. He turned his head towards Aaron, for a moment, he considered telling Aaron he loved him, but figured it was too soon, and thus simply exited the room.

A part of Aaron knew that Optimus had almost said those words, and in that sense his heart sunk. As soon as it was to hear it, after a year, to know Optimus did feel that way would have been nice. But then again, he'd let Optimus do this at his own pace, after all, who knew if Optimus would have meant what he said. Sighing a bit, he allowed himself to drift off into sleep, and for it all to simply leave his mind. Both he and Optimus regretted to notice a tiny marble ball, a microbot that made up Reedman, which lay near the corner of the room. The ball rolled carefully through a vent and out of sight, in order to present this newfound revelation to Megatron. He would surely be _very_ pleased with this development.

...

The darkness enveloped him within moments. Aaron cried out multiple times, for his parents, for Optimus. There were hundreds of images floating by him, all memories, dark ones, of what had happened that horrible day. Aaron found himself down on his knees, sobbing, in front of his parents graves yet again. Optimus's holoform had his hands on his shoulders, offering comforting words that the distraught Aaron didn't even acknowledge. Suddenly the images were gone as he felt himself shaken awake, the same figure from his dream sat at the foot of his bed. Optimus's holoform was a soft featured man in his sixties, light brown hair starting to grey, the same soft blue eyes filled with wisdom and concern. He dressed much like a trucker you might see driving down the road, which went right along with his alternate form.

"Are you alright?" Optimus questioned, concerned, staring at Aaron quietly.

"Nightmare again... I uhhh..." Aaron turned his head slightly.

Optimus moved forward knowingly, making his way to where he sat next to the boy carefully. Gently running his hand through Aaron's hair, he tenderly kissed the young boy's forehead, surprising Aaron though he didn't voice his surprise, only smiling up at Optimus. "I'm right here son, sleep on knowing you _are_ safe." He said quietly, staring Aaron in the eyes.

Aaron smiled a bit, he didn't know why, but the notion certainly did make him feel much more safe. He could hear Optimus humming quietly, running his hand through his hair tenderly, as if he was humming Aaron a lullaby to soothe him. If that had been his intention, he was succeeding. Optimus watched as the boy fell back asleep, hearing his snores quietly fill the air. He had no intention of removing his holoform from the room, he had done this before, and he knew his presence often helped him. It was moments like these that Optimus most treasured with Aaron, just as he had treasured moments like these with Bumblebee. Watching him sleep, watching how peaceful he looked even after such a fearful nightmare.

Sometimes, the old mech felt that it was the one time, he too felt at peace. Watching his children sleep without a care in the world, that time had long passed Bumblebee, but Aaron, he hoped, would never be forced to become a soldier in the war himself. At least at nearly eighteen human years as Bumblebee had been. Sighing a bit, he settled in beside Aaron on his bed, sitting up, he wrapped an arm around the boy before allowing himself to enter recharge, something he no doubt needed.

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	19. Chapter 19

Now here's where we start the chapters as how I've been planning for them to go. Part of it focusing on Robbie, then part of it focusing on Aaron. There will be some that focus on both at once, and some that focus on just one of them. But this is how it'll mostly be handled from now on. :)

...

**CHAPTER 19**

Robbie had been having a long week back at school, then again, mid-terms weren't exactly the most fun thing on the planet. Not to mention Parents Night, the amount of reasons the latter was bad seemed to build up the more that Robbie thought about it. Of course, it wasn't as bad as him as it was for Aaron, whom he knew went to his school, at least until after mid-terms were over. Of course, Optimus would go to parents night, but as it would be his first time to any event like this, he'd be explaining a lot of things. On top of this, he planned to switch schools, and considering that, Aaron was likely to find that awkward. Robbie however, well, Robbie was just flat out nervous about how well he was doing in his classes, and therefore, what his teachers would tell Magnus.

It wasn't that Robbie wasn't a good student, no, he worked hard in school. But the fact was that he often struggled sometimes. Ratchet, earlier on, had suggested Robbie might have what was called a 'Non-Verbal Learning Disorder', which meant that he learned at a slightly slower pace. In a way, it was hard for him to concentrate in class, which was the root of the problem. Further studies had helped Ratchet to confirm that Robbie did indeed have the disorder, and while he got help in school on account of it, he still found himself struggling. He was practically half-asleep at the desk inside his room when he heard the knock on his door, noticing Magnus in the doorway.

"Need any help buddy? I have a break." Magnus questioned, entering the room carefully as Robbie nodded his head slowly "These mid-term things have really got your stress levels high, don't they?" Another quiet nod as Magnus took the piece of paper off of his desk, scanning it over "Well you don't seem to be doing bad at all. You're math's only a little off." He noted, thinking out loud as his optics turned down to Robbie "Are you sure something else isn't bothering you?" He questioned.

"Positive."

For some reason, Magnus didn't believe Robbie at all. He knew the boy well, he was his son, he knew when he was struggling with his disorder. But he also knew when Robbie was dealing with more stress then just that, and right now, there was no possible way there wasn't more going on here. Setting the paper down and crouching down to stare Robbie in the eyes, he leaned forward a bit. "What's the matter, son? You should know by now that I know you better then anyone. You never stress this much over your disorder." He commented "You've actually been getting better handling it since we've gotten you a 'note taker'. So, what's really going on?" He questioned.

"Parents night." Robbie admitted quietly, he stared at Magnus slowly.

A resounding click resounded from Magnus, a noise he usually made in place of an 'ohhhh'. Seating himself on the floor in front of Robbie, he tapped his thigh carefully, Robbie knowingly climbed onto him. Carefully climbing as close into the massive mech's lap as he could. "Robbie, you have no reason to worry about Parents Night." Magnus told him, he looked at the boy solemnly "I know you're struggling, and no matter _what_ your teacher's say, it'll only serve to show me what we need to work on." He rubbed the top of his son's head gently "I'm not going to punish you for struggling, if that is what you're worried about, youngling. Alright?" He questioned.

Robbie nodded his head a bit, smiling, he knew Magnus was being sincere with him. He most certainly had never lied to him before, so there was no reason for him to start now, at least not in Robbie's opinion. "I know, I guess just a part of me is freaked out." Robbie shrugged his shoulders, laying his head back against Magnus a bit "I've been so freaked out I've been working on homework due Monday, and it's only Thursday." He added, shaking his head a bit.

"Well then I do think a break is most certainly in order, don't you?" Magnus commented with a smile, lifting the small human onto his shoulder before standing up "The last thing we need is you loosing sleep over something like that. Though i do appreciate you trying to take the initiative." He chuckled a bit, Robbie grinned at him slightly "Now, what do you say l'il man? Wanna go take a drive down to Tranquility? Go watch a drive-in movie? I hear those are fun." he questioned.

Robbie looked thoughtful for a moment, shifting a bit. He had never been to a drive-in movie himself, but they were supposed to be a lot of fun. So he figured they might as well, it wouldn't hurt after all, would it? He nodded a bit, looking at Magnus calmly. "Sure, it could be fun. As long as you pay Dad, I haven't got much on me." Robbie chuckled, watching Magnus roll his optics "What? I swear I'll pay one of these days." he added quickly.

"Of course you will son." Magnus chuckled lightly, he gave Robbie a look "Of course you will."

Robbie chuckled a bit, allowing Magnus to carry him out of the room calmly, he knew he was only being playful. So he didn't really bother to comment back, even if there were days that he did feel that way. Chances were, Magnus would always pay for the time they spent together. At least until Robbie got a job, which at this rate, was still a ways off.

...

To say that Robbie was wrong about how Aaron felt about parents night was an understatement. Optimus cruised along the roads of Tranquility like it was nothing, Aaron however, was chewing on his fingernails in anticipation. He would have been fine if it hadn't been for his science teacher. All of his teachers loved him, he had good grades, and despite being a bit of a class clown, got along with the other teachers. However, his science teacher seemed to have something against him. It was one of many reasons Aaron was glad he was only going to be in public school for two more weeks before he was allowed to transfer over. Optimus's holoform turned his head towards Aaron, noticing how tense he was. "Aaron, I don't understand your fear." Optimus noted "You've told me for the past school year that you've enjoyed school." He added.

"I do!" Aaron quickly replied, staring at Optimus "Hell I love school, but it's just... School isn't the _actual _reason I'm nervous." He admitted, he crossed his arms, and turned to stare out he window of the passengers side window "My science teacher doesn't exactly like me Prime." He explained.

Optimus gave a confused stare in Aaron's direction, not completely understanding what he meant by this. Shifting a bit, he parked the car in the school's parking lot, climbing out as Aaron did. Optimus shook his head a bit, draping an arm around his foster son's shoulder carefully. "I'm sure it's simply a misunderstanding Aaron. And if it is not, you will soon be out of this school, you have no cause for worry." He added with a smile, removing his arm after a moment "C'mon Aaron, it won't be that bad." He added.

"You have no idea." Aaron huffed under his breath a bit.

Optimus stared at Aaron concerned, his holoform's blue optics watching him carefully. The way Aaron was acting was uncharacteristic of him, and to say it concerned him would likely have been an understatement. "Where is this science class?" He questioned as they entered the school, Aaron simply pointed at a door near the front "We should go there first, it concerns me you are acting this way. C'mon." He added.

Optimus opened the door calmly, Aaron walked behind him, visibly, he was much less calm then Optimus was. The mech made note that he and Aaron were the only ones in the room other then Aaron's teacher. The man sat behind his desk, wearing horn-rimmed glasses, grey hair balding, brown eyes in a permanent 'dagger glare'. None-the-less, the friendly mech that he was, Optimus made his way to the front of the room, extending his holoform's hand. "You must be Mr. Alverez, I am-." He began.

"I know who you a_re_ Mr. Prime." Alverez, pointed toward a seat in front of him "Have a seat so that we can talk about your... _Child_."

Optimus noted the spite in Alverez's voice for a moment, but took his seat none the less. Aaron decidingly took a seat in the back of the room. He knew a cold man like Mr. Alverez talking to Optimus may very well end in a physical altercation of some sort. The last thing he wanted to do was be in the front row if his Foster Father and Teacher started to go at it. Seeing him nose-to-nose with Galloway had been bad enough. "I understand from my son that he is having difficulties in class. While he will be transferring as you no doubt know. I'd like to know why, so that I may help him in future-." Optimus never even completed his sentence.

"Mr. Prime if I may be _blunt_ your son is one of the worst students I have ever taught. Trying to help him would be a waste of time." Alverez's words stung Optimus a bit, already he didn't like the man "He is irresponsible, he rarely tries in class, and when he does, his work is just shy of terrible." Alverez seemed to glare at Aaron as he said this, staring at Optimus "Hopeless would be the best way to describe a student so horrendously stupid." He added.

"Aaron has A's in all of his classes with the exception of this one." Optimus very clearly attempted to hold in his anger at what the man had just said "He takes AP Alegbra and AP English, Aaron is not only bright, but spends at least six hours a day doing his homework before he enjoys himself." He stood slightly "The fact of the matter is, Aaron is anything but a stupid boy. And even if he was not all that bright, you have no right to put a child down in such a manner." He added flatly.

"That may very well be the case Mr. Prime. But apparently, your son regrets to use his brain in Science. Have you checked his homework?" Alverez crossed his arms, and stared at Optimus coldly "Like it or not, I wouldn't be surprised if he cheats in his other classes. That would be the best explanation I have." He added.

To say Optimus was angry at this point would have likely been a rather serious understatement. Not only did Aaron not cheat, but Optimus knew he spent the time he did on his work because often, he was the one telling him to go to bed after finding him up at two in the morning. Doing the homework this man had chosen to give him. That had been months ago, and he had never thought anything of it, at least not until now. "My son's intelligence may very well not be for science." Optimus said darkly "But I can honestly say this Mr. Alverez, no student will ever learn from an _incompetent_ teacher whom gives up on children because of their shortcomings." He smiled upon seeing Alverez's face turn a bright shade of pink "The failure or succession of the student, is wholey dependent on the teacher, Mr. Alverez." He then added.

"How dare you!"

"I do hope you have a second job, Mr. Alverez. I have an interworking memory." Optimus told him flatly "I do not believe your school board, whom I have connections with, would be very happy with what you just had the nerve to tell me." He added "Good day."

Optimus motioned for Aaron, who made good note to take a mental picture of the look on Alverez's face. Heaven knew the man had had it coming from the day he had stepped into the classroom. Aaron stared at Optimus, hugging the mech calmly, the holoform was stunned for a good moment. Aaron had never hugged him before, so he had not been expecting it. "Thanks Dad." Aaron commented, looking down "It... Uh... It took a lot of guts to do that." He added.

Optimus smiled a bit, pulling his arm around Aaron's shoulders once more he grinned lightly. "Anytime son, anytime." He added.

...

We'll get to see how Robbie is doing next chapter. :P Hopefully his Parents Night has started much better then Aaron's did.


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER 20**

Global Politics. It was the last class Optimus Prime could ever have seen Aaron taking, yet he had. Aaron, being a bit of a rebellious soul, made Optimus often think he'd pursue, perhaps, a rockstar lifestyle. Yet the teacher, a tall man in a suit with a bright smile, had immediately asked Optimus, as it was their last stop, to wait for the others to leave. It was not long after that that they were alone, the man, Mr. Kent, sat in front of him behind a desk, extending a hand which Optimus shook calmly. "First of all, it is an honor, to be in your presence, Optimus Prime. Man, my children idolize you, and frankly so do I." Kent turned his head towards Aaron "Your son always told me you were close to him, but, hell, I didn't think he was... Wow." The man leaned back in his seat "Apologies, I know we're here to talk about Aaron, but just wow." He added "The soon-to-be son of Optimus Prime in my class." He added.

"I am flattered Mr. Kent, you may send along a hello to your children." Optimus smiled, knowing full well it would make their night if they truly did 'idolize' him "I must admit, I was surprised to find out Aaron was taking this class. He never speaks of it, but no doubt, he enjoys your class, as he claimed you to be the gym coach. As well as his favorite teacher." He added rather surprised, Kent smiled a bit "Now Mr. Kent, please do tell me that Aaron is taking this class seriously." He added.

Kent chuckled a bit, Optimus raising an eyebrow slightly, he crossed his arms a bit. "Sir, not only is your son taking this seriously, he is-or rather, was one of my best students." Kent leaned forward, staring at Optimus "Tells me he wants to run the country someday, using your ideals. He's written some of the best papers in this class I've seen. He studies hard, he works even harder." He shook his head a bit "You may very well have a 'Mini Me' on your hands Prime." He looked back towards Aaron who was allowing them to talk alone, as Kent had also requested.

"It's odd, he's never even spoke to me about wanting to be in politics." Optimus commented, surprise laden in his voice, he stared at Aaron "I wonder what else he hasn't told me now. I spoke to him often, even before my plans to adopt him. I took care of him a great deal, but never once did he bring this up." He noted, rather surprised at the revelation.

"Well I'm sure before getting at least temporary custody, you both didn't have the chance to have in-depth discussions." Kent replied, knowingly, Optimus nodded in agreement, though he certainly hated to admit it "Regardless though, he's certainly being adopted into the right family. I can tell you'll likely be helping him get there, won't you?" Again Optimus gave a warm smile and nodded slowly "Well then, if that's all, it has really been a pleasure sir, thank you for coming in." Optimus shook the man's hand again before standing up slowly.

Optimus stood up slowly, made his way towards Aaron and smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder slowly. "Well that was certainly enlightening Aaron. I never expected to hear that you of all people would be, gunning for President." Aaron turned his head away, blushing "I'm proud son, very much so, that you are pursuing this." He led Aaron out of the room calmly, walking down the hallway through the still growing crowd "Why did you never tell me, Aaron, that I do not understand." He added.

"I planned to, eventually... But I never really thought you'd adopt me, so I didn't know how to..." Aaron sighed a bit, and looked at the man calmly "I don't know, I guess I just never did, I probably should have though. I know you could have helped me, but I was just too nervous to approach you about it." He then added, very honestly "I've wanted to do this since I met you Dad, I mean, you've always been my role model. You were a second Dad to me even when mine was still around." He shook his head "But you were always so busy I didn't want to bother you." He added.

Optimus listened to his son calmly, understanding exactly where he was coming from. Despite it all though, he would have listened, even if the boy had been a seven year old saying 'When I grow up, I wanna be just like you Optimus!' he would have listened. He would have even encouraged Aaron to pursue that, Primus knew Earth could use some non-corrupt Political Leaders. America didn't seem to have that problem now, but in the past there had been a few speed bumps. "Aaron, you can tell me anything, if you had told me sooner. I would have happily encouraged it." The mech smiled at him brightly "I don't know if you noticed, but you've always held a special place in my spark. I didn't allow you to call me 'Uncle Optimus' from when you were seven for nothing, after all." He added.

"And now you're my Dad, who knew that would happen, right?" Aaron teased, looking up at him "I mean if I have the right to call you that, I know Bee calls you Prime and I, uh-." He gulped a bit.

"Bumblebee calls me that by choice and out of respect, being he is a soldier. As far as I'm concerned, he has the right to call me 'Father' whenever he chooses." Optimus ran a hand through Aaron's hair gently "I'd rather you did call me 'Dad' anyway, it has a nice ring to it." He said comfortingly "Does it not?" He questioned.

"It does." Aaron admitted.

As the two exited the school, headed towards Optimus's alt mode, a pair of red optics watched them silently. The small, red Decepticon, Rumble grumbled to himself upon making note that Aaron was not alone as he had been on previous parents nights. This was certainly not going to be easy, even harder then gnabbing Robbie would be. Grumbling to himself, he rushed in the other direction, out of sight, just as Optimus's holoform turned his head. Scanning for a moment, he caught no sign of the Decepticon, who had quickly gotten away. None the less, Optimus knew something was off, so he never removed his arm from around Aaron. Primus knew he'd never let the Decepticons abduct him, he'd rather die then see them hurt his children.

But deep down, he knew there would come a time where he'd have no say in the matter.

...

Magnus was more then a little impressed with what Robbie's teachers had to say about him. Smart, bright, likable, outgoing, friendly, Robbie seemed to be liked by his teachers. Even his Math Teacher, whom he had been so nervous about, was very impressed with how well Robbie was improving. Sighing a bit, Magnus sat down beside Robbie calmly, there was still one last class to handle, P.E., or rather, Physical Education, Magnus figured this would go by rather fast. Robbie seemed to shift uncomfortably upon looking towards a group of girls nearby, staring at one girl in particular. "Everything alright Robert?" Magnus set a hand on his shoulder gently "You seem distracted." He added.

"It's nothing, just uh..." Robbie turned his head, looking for some sort of distraction "Hey my coach is open, we can go-."

"Who is she?"

Robbie sighed, he hated how Magnus seemed to know exactly what was going through his head. His eyes turned towards the group of girls. His eyes fell upon one of them, the head cheerleader, Dana Allan. Tall and thin, like a supermodel, but not unhealthily thin. She had shoulder length blond hair, dark green eyes, and dressed in a yellow, flowing dress. She was the definition of girly-girl, and normally, Robbie wouldn't act on looks, but Dana was beautiful inside and out. "Isn't that your friend?" He questioned, Robbie nodded his head a bit "You're crushing on Dana, then? I knew it." He admitted.

Robbie chuckled a bit, he and Dana had been close for years, since they were kids. But it was only recently that he had started to see her in a much different light. He shrugged his shoulders a bit, turning to look at Magnus. "What can I say, she's gorgeous." Robbie admitted, smiling rather goofily for a moment before it turned into a frown "But she's... Dating Brock, and there's no way I can compete with the head jock." He chuckled a bit "God, that sounds so cliche, doesn't it?"

"I've never heard the term before, but it's used in many movies." Magnus teased a little.

Robbie chuckled a little, he'd fill him in on the fact that was exactly what cliche meant later. Right now, he didn't really want to deal with this entire conversation. He hated admitting to the fact that he was jealous of Brock, who was nothing more then a self-centered jerk. He had no idea what Dana even saw in him. "Robbie!" Robbie was quickly brought out of his thoughts as Dana made her way over "Jeez, space cadet, what's going on." They shared a friendly hug before Dana turned to Magnus "Evening Mr. Magnus, no missions tonight?" She questioned.

"Nope, lucky for Prime and I, we've had a really quiet few days." Magnus smiled a bit, shaking his head "We were able to be around for our kids tonight, a 'plus' as you often put it." Smiling between the two of them, he pointed towards the coach "I'll go see him while he's open." He added.

Robbie glared at Magnus, knowing exactly what he was doing. He sighed a bit, staring at Dana, he chuckled nervously. "So are your Mom and Reggie here? Or are you flying solo tonight?" Dana nodded over her shoulder to a pair of adults, her Mother and Step-Father in response "Wow, both of them? That's a rarity, isn't it?" He commented with a smile.

"Yeah, well, like your Dad Reggie got off work early." Dana nodded a bit, crossing his arms "Which I'm lucky about, since they rarely are around these days, you know? You're lucky, even if your Dad is an Autobot, he's around way more then either of them are anymore." She shrugged her shoulders, then stared at him "So Optimus is here with Aaron?" She questioned.

"Yeah, surprising, right?" Robbie replied, chuckling "Uncle Prime got all his work done early just so he could be here."

"That's so cool." Dana turned her head at a whistle, noting that Reggie was waving her over "Well I should get going. See you later?"

Robbie watched her go, smiling after her, he had to wonder if he was making his crush way too obvious in doing so. "Well then, lovebird, let's get going." Magnus commented, making his way over, Robbie turned his head towards him "I just got a call, according to NEST, I'm on call after all. I need to be back home, now." He commented.

Robbie nodded a bit, looking back at Dana one last time, he made note of the fact that she looked right back. Dana smiled, and waved for a moment, Robbie only waved back. Magnus watched the exchanged from the corner of his eye, letting out a knowing smile. Ah the first crush, even without a bonded, he knew how it felt. He just hoped that Robbie's would end much better then his did.


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER 21**

Aaron's least favorite part about transferring, by far, was the fact he now had to stay after school. Everyone had left for the day, and of course, that was when he finally got the chance to clean out his locker. To say it unnerved Aaron to be in such a public place, _alone_, at this point would have been putting it lightly. Ever since Parents Night, Aaron had had a rather, unusual feeling of dread inside of him that he couldn't totally explain, like he was constantly being watched and stalked. If he knew what Rumble was there to do that day, he may have found his fears justified. The young minibot sat in the shadows of the hallway, carefully waiting. A net carefully clutched between his talons. Being the size of an adult human, gnabbing Aaron would be easy. He'd simply snag him up in the net like an animal, throw him over his shoulder, and be out the backdoor before whatever escort he had to and from school knew what had happened.

If Aaron didn't come easily, he had sedatives and guns to keep him co-operating. As such, regardless of what Aaron tried, he was alone in the hallway, vulnerable, he wasn't getting away. Aaron sighed, grabbing his final book carefully from the locker, he slammed it shut, making his way down the hallway. Rumble made the mistake of exposing his talons, hearing the humans barely audible cursing under his breath, Rumble leapt out of his hiding place with a snarl. Aaron was already bolting off in the direction he planned to take him, as if he was making it too easy. "Oh no you DON'T fleshling!" Rumble snarled, bounding after him on all fours for a moment, his left palm became a flat hammer. Which he slammed against the ground knocking Aaron onto his side "I'm taking you to Meagtron, you try to fight me, and you'll just make this MORE difficult." He added.

Aaron kicked outward at Rumble, hitting him in the face as the red mech stumbled backward. The net went flying from his hands, landing inches away. Rumble felt the side of his face slowly, it was bleeding energon, but only because the brat had managed to crack part of his optic. "You little slagger!"

Rumble gripped Aaron by the throat tightly, pulling him up slowly. His left arm morphing back into the hammer, he threw Aaron against the lockers. Aaron's eyes widened, but quickly shut tightly, refusing to watch. "RUMBLE!" The red mech turned to the police uniform clad holoform of Barricade "We need Prime's sparkling _alive_. Tag him and bag him, but do _not_ hurt him!" He added loudly.

Rumble grumbled to himself, reaching into his subspace, he removed a large burlap sack. Dropping Aaron in carelessly before tying up the top, he shook his head a bit, throwing the squirming sack over his shoulder. Rumble ignored Aaron's cries of help, turning towards Barricade slowly. "For the record, the little slagger struck the first blow! Look what he did to my OPTIC!" He said pointing at the cracked optic "Now I'll have to fragging see Hook, and pit if he won't have my head!" Rumble held the sack out in front of him for a moment "He's lucky I don't slit his THROAT." Rumble moved his talons along, cutting a VERY tiny hole in the sack to allow Aaron just enough air to breathe.

Aaron gripped both sides of the sack tightly as they began to move at a brisk pace. From outside of the sack he could barely see anything through the tiny hole. All he knew was that he was completely terrified. His first encounter with the Decepticons, in all fourteen years of life, had to be being abducted. He knew it would happen, but never this soon, not just when things were starting to look up. He felt the sack tossed into the back seat of what he guessed was the holoform's real form, before a door slam shut behind him. "If you move or make a sound, you will be killed." Was the only thing Barricade told him before the car beneath him began to move.

Aaron sobbed quietly, wondering what they'd do with him, torture him? Use him as target practice? Or was he really simply bait to draw Optimus out? The worst part of it all was that Aaron had no way of knowing what these two or Megatron wanted with him. No doubt Megatron had some rather harsh plans for him, and even worse for Optimus, but what were they? It felt like days, but was likely only a few hours when Aaron felt them come to a stop, the top of his sack unbinded, Rumble reached inside and yanked him out roughly. The first thing he got to was binding the prisoners wrists behind his back, then blindfolding him so he'd have no idea where he had been taken.

"Walk."

The word alone was enough to get Aaron to follow his captor's instructions, knowing full well he would be killed otherwise. "That isn't Robbie." Came a voice, displeased sounding "We had a deal Megatron, we had a fucking deal! You get Robbie, I get-."

A blast silenced the man, Jerry, for good, Aaron flinched slightly, but kept walking. Feeling Rumble's claw against his left arm, dragging him along if he even slightly fell behind. "It's pathetic, the human actually believed I would keep my word. Perhaps I would have given him the money... Had the better opportunity not arisen." As doors closed behind him and the blindfold was removed, Aaron stared up at Megatron with wide eyes, the mech was abnormally large, a tarp covering his horribly mangled left side of his face "Welcome nephew, we've been expecting you. I do hope my minions weren't too _rough _on you." Megatron barely got the sentence out with a straight face.

"What do you want?"

"Oh please, don't give me that line." Megatron rolled his optics tapping the side of his helm "If you are so daft, I may as well kill you now. You'll serve little use to me dumb." He admitted flatly "From now on, I suggest you act smart, fleshling, don't EVER speak unless spoken to first." He told him flatly, coldly, he point at Rumble "Remove his binds and his backpack, as I understand it's called. I will not risk our young prisoner contacting his friends for help." He grinned wickedly "Until the time is right, at least." He said with a wicked chuckle.

Aaron felt his bonds cut and his backpack ripped from his shoulder, taken away by Rumble within moments. Megatron gripped him in his talons, throwing him onto a high surface, clearly not about to risk him running off. Megatron clicked slightly, pleased, he crossed his arms, and smirked. "Not even putting up a fight I see." Megatron laughed a little "No doubt, your Father warned you not to. A smart mech, as you no doubt know, angering me will be your last mistake." He pointed towards the charred remains of Jerry "Lest you end up like the idiotic flesh creature who honestly believed I would help him out of this 'debt'." He laughed coldly.

Aaron stared at Megatron slowly, gulping, he felt his stomach churning with knots, he had never been so scared before. But Megatron was far more massive, and far more intimidating then Aaron had ever expected. And considering his previous mental image of Megatron, that was indeed saying something. Megatron grinned lightly, watching the fear in his eyes, which only served to amuse him, knowing he had something that meant so much to his brother, completely at his mercy. "To answer your question, I have wished for revenge for some time. Or have you never heard what your Father did to me?" He chuckled lowly "You my little organic friend, are the answer to my problems. So vulnerable..." He moved one talon under Aaron's chin and drew him closer "Yet the son of a Prime, to have you in my possession, this is a grand accomplishment." He noted "Never before have I had the chance to take such a valuable hostage." He added.

Aaron whimpered slightly, fear clearly present in his eyes, such fear only served to amuse Megatron more. Now, he simply had to decide what to do with his prisoner. Perhaps, making him his pet would anger Optimus, but at the same time, not quite enough. Though it was, at the very least, a start. "Soundwave." Megatron turned towards the mech, who made his way forward from the gathered Decepticons "Find an open cage for our little guest in my quarters, see to it he is fit into a comfortable collar. He will _not_ be suffocated. For he will soon be of use to us." He added, then tapped his new pet on the head his mouth curving into a smile "Welcome to the Decepticons, my little pet." He chided.

...

The cage Soundwave had stuck Aaron in hung from the ceiling in front of Megatron's recharging berth, suspended like an oversized bird cage. The room was dark and drab, clearly Megatron's room, Aaron had deduced, not only by Megatron's own words, but at the battle plans that seemed to line the walls. The collar tightly wound around his neck was a light metal, it was extremely tight, but not enough to strangle him, the tag was shaped like a Decepticon shield, decidedly purple, with a number in Cybertronian engraved on it. If there was a way to remove it easily, Aaron had yet to find it. The tears had long extinguished from his eyes, clearly, Aaron hated to admit it, however, he was beginning to give up.

Megatron entered his quarters nearly an hour after Aaron had been dropped off. The sneer on Megatron's face said it all in Aaron's eyes, he was pleased. Whether it was to have a new pet, or at his fear, Aaron didn't know, nor did he really care. "Comfortable, Aaron?" Aaron glared at Megatron, not letting his fear show "Ooooh so tough, you don't even speak when spoken too. Always the defiant one, I see." He noted, chuckling a bit "Are you sure your not my brother's true son? You have more of his stuborness then his real sparkling." He laughed lightly.

"Fuck you."

"Now, now, there's no reason for that language." Megatron flicked the side of the cage, causing Aaron to fall back against the bars as it swayed "You'll learn to show me more respect, my pet, if you wish to live. If not, I will kill you, make no mistake. Robert Magnus was my first choice. I will happily 'settle' for him." He cackled a bit, looking towards Aaron "Now, I need my recharge, kidnapping you was tough work." He added sarcastically "Do sleep as long as you allow yourself to, Aaron, you'll want your energy. You'll most certainly be performing tricks for my amusement." He teased coldly.

Aaron watched the leader lounge against the berth, grinning at him sinisterly. Aaron had to wonder where he had been taken , surely it couldn't be that late. Then again, what did it matter. and frankly, how would he know? He didn't even know if it was daytime when they arrived, only knowing he had been abducted in practically broad daylight. Leaning against the bars of the massive cage, Aaron pulled his legs against his chest, burying his head into his knees, and allowed choked sobs to break out of him. He was terrified, moreso then he had ever been in his life. The thought of Megatron not even knowing what he had planned for him quite yet only fueled the fear. For all he knew, this was all a ruse to lul him into a sense of safety, if you could even call being Megatron's pet that.

"Dad, where are you?" He questioned quietly.

Eventually bringing himself to lay against the floor of the cage and sleep, Aaron could only hope that when he next opened his eyes, it would all be one big nightmare. **  
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	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER 22**

Optimus was stressed, no, stressed didn't even cut it at this point. Optimus felt an aching feeling in his spark, not knowing where Aaron was, or what was happening to him. Normally, his bond with his children was strong enough for him to track down easily. But the Decepticons, he had come to realize, were using some means to interfere with his bond with Aaron, how or why, he didn't quite know. It enraged him that Megatron would strike such a low blow, Aaron was only a child, and his at that. He had thought that not even Megatron would be that low, or at least, that stupid, as to target one of his children. He had never dared to kidnap Bumblebee when he was growing up, and a part of him hoped it would be the same way with Aaron.

They had been searching nearly all night for him, every corner of Tranquility. Hoping that he would have been taken somewhere they could easily find him. But in the end, they had found nothing, and were no closer to finding Aaron then when they had started. The mech knew Aaron had been cut off from all communications, as he had trained Aaron on how to handle these types of situations. It was the only thing keeping Optimus from storming every known Decepticon base to find him. Though he had yet to say it, he loved Aaron, and one would be hard-pressed to not infuriate him when hurting his loved ones.

Magnus had gone out with him, leaving Robbie with William Lennox that night. He'd normally have left him with Bumblebee, but as Aaron's older brother, he had headed up a small squadron who, just as they were, was searching. Optimus stopped at the Lookout, the last place left, transforming, his optics scanned around, Magnus drove up behind him, as he transformed himself Magnus frowned. "Prime, we've searched everywhere. We need to call it a night, wherever they took him, it wasn't here." He said softly.

"I know, but it worries me, brother." Optimus turned his head towards Magnus slowly "In the past year Aaron and my bond has grown very strong. Taking care of him for so long has, perhaps, made it as strong as a biological creation bond." He felt his spark fall a bit "I have never felt the bond accessible, just as that has never happened to the one Bumblebee and myself share." His voice was low, concerned "It worries me I cannot even reach out to Aaron." He admitted "I know he is not dead, I can feel his heart still beating. But otherwise, our bond is severed." He shook his head "Megatron has likely made sure of it himself."

"We'll find him Optimus." Magnus commented, for the first time, he used his older brother's first given name "Aaron is a strong, sharp, and careful boy. He can take care of himself, you taught him to. And we both know Megatron would _not_ dare to lay a finger on him. He's too valuable." He then added "He took him to strike a blow to you Prime, not to enrage you. He wants to see to it that you are weakened." He added, quietly.

Optimus sighed deeply, but nodded his head, knowing Magnus was right. Megatron would keep him relatively unharmed unless the need to do harm to him arose. He prayed to Primus that the need would never arise, as well as for him to grant his son safety. He sighed a bit, trying again, just one more time, there was nothing, simply interference. Megatron truly was crossing a line that should never be crossed, whether he knew that or not. Optimus transformed slowly, took a deep breath, and began to drive down the Lookout and onto the road. "Call it a night, Bumblebee. We aren't going to find Aaron tonight." He noted quietly, before cutting out the com link between them.

Optimus needed some time alone to gather his thoughts, to figure out a strategy. At the very least, he needed to decide where to go from here.

...

Will didn't mind having Robbie around that night, to him, Robbie was a lot like the son he and Sarah didn't have. Well, he was more or less a kid brother more then that, but his protective nature caused Will to sometimes think of him like a son. They had a guest bedroom on the second floor of their Diego Garcia home, small, but still big enough for Robbie and his things. He watched the boy for a moment as he slept, looking the room over, twice. He had to be sure that there were no Decepticons around, lest they get two very valuable hostages. He sighed a bit, making his way down the stairs, it was only then that he heard the knock on the door. Of course, Magnus phased right in, he didn't need the door but it was common courtesy as the humans put it, he smiled at Will a bit.

"Sorry I came back earlier then the morning. We gave up our leadless search much earlier then expected." Magnus spoke quietly, careful not to wake Annabelle or Robbie, both of whom he was sure were asleep "He didn't give you much trouble did he?" He questioned.

Will smirked at how Magnus seemed to worry about that. It was like he saw Robbie to still be a five year old, and somewhat amused him. But still, he knew it was probably because the mech had no idea how everything to do with being a Father worked. He'd learn, but learning was a long process, he knew that all too well. "Not at all, you know Robbie's welcome here at any time." He told him quietly as he nodded his head "The most 'trouble' he had was asking for a little help with his Math. Lucky for him, it was one of my best subjects." He noted.

"I really do appreciate you taking care of him Major Lennox. I needed to know he was safely and closely guarded." Magnus nodded his head slowly, Will only smiled a bit "I know it is a lot to ask, but with the Autobots out... You could be certain the Decepticons would likely have struck at once." He admitted as he shook his head a bit "So where will I find him, anyway? Usual room?" He questioned.

Will nodded his head slightly, the two made their way up the stairs, Magnus opening the door quietly. Will helped gather his backpack quietly as Magnus carefully pulled Robbie into his arms. The boy stirred only slightly, but never opened his eyes, he was, after all, a heavy sleeper. Sighing a bit, he moved his body against his chest as he grabbed the backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. "I think everything's in there, but if not, obviously, you can just come right back." Will chuckled quietly, he ran his hair through Robbie's hair a moment "Night big guy." He noted, looking at both as he said this.

Magnus nodded his head, allowing Will to get the front door for him as he made his way out of the home and towards his waiting vehicle mode. He watched his son sleep peacefully, and breathed a deep sigh of relief. A part of his processor had always been thinking of Robbie while they had been out. He supposed it was normal, they shared a bond, perhaps not yet as strong as Optimus and Aaron's but still very strong. His concern was not unwarranted, lest he forget that if the Decepticon's had both of them, they could make Optimus most likely do whatever they wanted. It was a frightening thought, but family was the only thing that Magnus was sure could make Optimus truly surrender.

As he set Robbie into his alternate mode, Magnus did one last quick scan of the area before he climbed in himself. Sure he had checked at least fifteen times now, but one could never be too careful. He sighed, leaned back in his seat, and let himself close his eyes for a moment. His bond with Robbie was there, as it always was. Though he knew it would be, a part of him had wondered if perhaps it wasn't only Optimus and Aaron's bond that was affected. No such luck, of course, in his mind he knew there wouldn't be, he knew Megatron had very likely been the one causing the interference.

"What in pit are you planning Megatron?" He muttered under his breath, low enough that he knew Robbie would not hear him "You know what you're doing is wrong." He added quietly, though he knew all too well Megatron couldn't hear him, he severed his bond to his brothers long ago.

He drove into the night air, towards the main base and home, he did his best to keep himself calm. He didn't know whether it was paranoia or a serious feeling, but he did feel like he was being followed, or at the very least, _watched_. The thought of it unnerved him, but even Magnus knew not to ignore the feeling, after fighting for so long, he knew all too well that the Decepticons could be very well hiding, and watching. "Did you find him?" He heard Robbie's voice, his holoform jumped, startled "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." He heard the boy add.

"No, it's fine." Magnus said quietly, he stared at the boy whose eyes were barely open "We didn't manage to find Aaron. But we will find him, we'll keep searching until we do." He ran his hand along the thick of Robbie's spine "Sleep son, it's been a long day for all of us. You need your rest." He added.

"But I'm scared..."

Magnus frowned a bit, he couldn't blame his son for his fear, Primus knew it was warranted. He sighed, and kissed the top of Robbie's head comfortingly. As Robbie started to close his eyes again, sleepiness overtaking him, Magnus knew he'd have a passenger in his cab that night. He wasn't about to leave Robbie alone, not after what had happened. Robbie was scared, and Magnus, well, he was not about to leave his son out in the open, not after what had happened once, nearly twice, when he had done so. Coming to a stop in the hangar of the NEST Base, his holoform disappeared, and returned several minutes with Robbie's blanket and pillow. He carefully moved the pillow under his head, and pulled the blanket over his body.

His interior wouldn't be the most comfortable bed, but it would certainly be the _safest_. He sighed a bit, leaning over, he laid a final kiss upon his head, before pulling back carefully. "Goodnight, my son, know you sleep safely tonight." He added "Inside someone who loves you _very_ much." He added.

As the holoform disappeared, for the first time in his many years online, Magnus refused stasis. The big rig was wide awake, alert, and aware that night. He could only hope that'd be enough to scare away any Decepticon that may dare to make a move.

...

Sorry it took so long to update. I was working on my other story while figuring out where to take the rest of this one. Hope this was worth the wait. :)


	23. Chapter 23

I figured this chapter had to be written at some point. A chapter involving how Aaron met the large mech and the events a year before the story started. :)

...

**CHAPTER 23**

SEVEN YEARS AGO**  
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Optimus was not certain what prompted the memory of the first time he met Aaron, but he allowed it that night. The dream that flooded his banks was, easily one of the strongest of his memories, if only because it involved one of his kids. It had been summertime when Aaron's Father, Brandon, had taken him to his home. Optimus was very much, in every way, Brandon's partner. Much like Ironhide was Will's, and Sideswipe was the partner of Robert Epps. Optimus vividly remembered Brandon as a strong, hearty man, who easily could have passed as a trucker, had he not worn the uniform of a general. Brandon was in his forties, and Aaron's Mother, Candice, was in her thirties. At his age, after many years of service, Brandon's rank of General was less then shocking, nor was the fact he rarely had the chance to leave the base and see his son. It was, after all, long before they allowed families to move onto NEST Base, by a few years.

His wife, whom Optimus had yet to meet, had been the reason for their visit. Her track record had made NEST convinced that they could use her on their team. But as she had chosen to take a leave from the service to help raise Aaron, that had not been easy. They needed to talk about relocating to NEST to live, for the sheer fact that Aaron, sadly had no other family to watch him. It would be hard to adjust to the seven year old living on base, but Optimus had believed it to be the right choice, and therefore give his approval before anyone else. He had yet to meet his partner's family, but from what he told him, his son was rather well behaved, if not a bit hyper, not unlike Bumblebee in his youngling years.

The home they had was rather small, but was gorgeous, not unlike Optimus's own home back on Cybertron had once been. While most believed he had lived on the base itself, Optimus had decidingly lived modestly in a home in Iacon among others. The first time he saw Aaron, he wasn't quite sure whether or not to reveal himself to the seven year old. He was a small boy, even for his age, the same tuft of blond hair, and the same dark blue eyes he would grow fond of seeing as the child grew up. Optimus watched with his headlights as Brandon grabbed his son, pulled him up and took him into his arms in a tight hug. If he could have smiled, he would have. "There's my little soldier." Brandon stated, setting him down on the ground with a smile "God, I missed you." Brandon stated as he pulled him into yet another hug.

"Whoa! Cool truck!"

Even back then Aaron had a thing for anything large and cool looking. He was a curious boy, no one could deny that, the difference being back then, it was a bit cuter. Brandon seemed to smile at him and then back at Optimus. "I'm glad you feel that way Aaron." Brandon commented, knowingly "We're gonna have him as a guest here for a while." He put his hands on his son's shoulders "Aaron, you know those Autobots, your Mom and I told you I worked with?" Aaron looked up at him, and nodded knowingly "This one's my partner, Optimus Prime. Part of the reason we're here is because we want to talk to you two about relocation." He commented.

"I thought they were robots?" Aaron asked curiously, stepping forward a bit, he looked Optimus over a little "He doesn't look much like a robot." He questioned.

As Optimus chuckled, Aaron jumped back in surprise at the fact that a large Peterbuilt had just _chuckled_at his curiosity. The rural farmhouse they lived in had a large expanse of area between the area and their neighbors. As such, Optimus saw no reason not to humor the little boy. Allowing Brandon to grab his bag from the passenger's seat, Optimus quickly transformed, his body shifting until he stood crouched, hunched over a bit, above the young human. "I hope that satisfied your curiosity." Optimus held out a finger slightly, and smiled at the young human, who stared back, wide-eyed and amazed "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Aaron Baxter. Your Father tells me of you often." He noted.

Aaron stared at his Father, as if for confirmation he was safe to shake his finger. Brandon nodded a bit, as Aaron reached out a hand, carefully gripping the mech's finger, he shook it slowly, and smiled a bit. "It's nice to meet you too Optimus." He replied as he looked up into the mech's bright optics.

Optimus knew from the moment he met the boy that he was going to become a very important part of his life. He didn't know how at the time, but he had known that this boy was special to him, in some way. Perhaps it was Primus's way of warning him of what was to happen in six short years. But nothing in this world, at least in his mind, could have prepared him for that, no matter how much time he had spent with Aaron following that day.

...

SIX YEARS LATER

Optimus's return from the battle in Kawait was a solemn, hard one to endure. Aaron had been only twelve, on the very cusp of turning thirteen. Optimus didn't want to be the one to tell Aaron that his parents were not coming home, but he knew he would listen to no one else. He had, after all, grown up looking up to Optimus as an Uncle, a second Father Figure in all respects, some one he could trust. It only made telling Aaron that day all the more harder. He cared more about Aaron then any other humans, more then Sam Witwicky even. Though Sam was a close friend and ally, one knew that Optimus had watched Aaron grow and play, become a young, bright child. The boy was family to him, moreso then any human he had met before him, just as his Father had felt like a brother to him.

He found Aaron at the usual spot that he waited for his parents at, near the front of the group of people gathered. Optimus activated his holoform quickly before he made his way toward the human boy. At once, the boy was bug-eyed, Optimus figured he knew what was now coming, as Aaron began to sob. "Aaron..." He quietly whispered, wrapping his arms around the boy at once "I'm so very sorry... I tried to save them... I was too late." He whispered.

He could feel the human boy bury his face into his chest, Prime refused to let him go. Aaron needed him right now. What he didn't expect was what happened right away, he felt Aaron's pain, all of it. Perhaps it was long overdue, but sometimes, artificial bonds worked like this. In dark moments, they would sometimes be the light. It stunned Optimus for a few moments, the though he had just created an Artificial Creation Bond, at least so quickly. It concerned him now, as Aaron had no way of being able to stay there, even he knew that. "You're LYING!" Aaron shouted "Where are Mom and Dad!"

"I'm very sorry Aaron, but I'm not. They're dead Aaron, they were gunned down before I could come to their aid." Optimus ran his hand through the child's hair gently, laying a kiss upon his head, a comforting one "I am so sorry Aaron, please, forgive me for not protecting them." He stated, quietly.

Aaron shook his head a bit, hugging Optimus tightly, Optimus quietly cooed the boy, doing his best to calm the boy down. He shook uncontrollably, and sobbed harder then Optimus had ever heard before, he knew the boy couldn't be calmed, only comforted. Yet the Autobot Leader still tried, knowing he needed someone to be there for him, more then anything. Taking the boy by the shoulders, he rubbed his shoulders quietly. "I promise you Aaron, you will not face this alone. I will see to it." He noted quietly.

They watched as the caskets that contained his parents were carried out. Aaron leaned against Optimus's chest carefully, Optimus held the boy carefully, comfortingly in his arms, and hugged him tightly. He knew he was about to go through a very difficult time in his life, but he'd see to it he was with him every step of the way. It was that day that Optimus vowed to protect the boy, no matter what happened. And later, he had chosen to take financial responsibility for him. It had been the day that the large mech's life had forever changed.

...

PRESENT DAY

Optimus awakened from the long dream with a jolt, his optics scanned the hangar on instinct. He had hoped that, perhaps, it had been a bad dream, that Aaron was still on base. To his misfortune, such was not the case, as his scans did not pick him up. As he tried to contact him through the bond yet again, the interference was all he could hear. His headlights closed themselves as he sunk down on his wheels. Primus, he prayed that Aaron was safe, he could be in any position as long as he was unharmed and safe. Otherwise, Optimus wasn't sure he'd be able to live with himself.

He'd never felt so helpless as he did that night as he transformed, quietly making his way to Aaron's bedroom. He looked inside, yet again, just to be sure. He only sulked, as he had suspected, the scans had not been wrong. Aaron truly was gone, and in the back of his processor he felt that it had all been his fault. He knew they both had wanted this, for him to take the steps to adopt him, but at the same time, he knew he could very well be dead right now. Crouching down and scanning around the room, he sighed, nothing, not a prank, this was real.

He slammed his fist carefully against the doorway, he stared down and looked up. "You will pay for this Megatron." He muttered under his breath as he tried his best to calm himself "I will find him, whether you like it or not." He growled.

He could only hope that when he found him, it wouldn't be already too late to save Aaron.

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	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER 24**

Aaron was no longer even sure how long he'd been in the cage. All he knew for sure was that Megatron had only grunted at his presence. It wasn't that he wasn't grateful he had not been made to do tricks, yet he still felt something was _very_ off about that. Megatron should have been relishing in this, even Aaron knew that, after all, he had the son of Optimus Prime as a pet. Yet here he was, at his complete and utter _mercy_and he had simply left him danging in a cage in his room. He scanned the room slowly, looking for anything that might give him any indication as to Megatron's strange behavior. It didn't take too long for him to notice the computers, he stared at them slowly, on it were notes, in Cybertronian, but notes none the less.

He stared down at the collar around his neck slowly, and noted the sequenced pattern was the same as the one on the computer. The boy stared between both in utter confusion, it was strange, but in the world did it all _mean_? He shook his head a bit, something wasn't right, in fact, somewhere in his gut he knew this whole pet thing was rouse. Megatron was planning something much worse, why he was keeping it from the others was beyond him, however. The door to the room slid open as Megatron entered, he watched the boy with his optics slowly. "Fascinating, I take it?" He noted rather coldly, he grinned a little "Do you wish to know what it means? Or should I spare you the explanation?" He questioned.

"Do I have a choice? Every evil villain always has a speech."

"Smart-aftery will get you nowhere." Megatron barked, sending Aaron against the back of his cage "That collar, my little human. Is the only thing keeping your Father from finding you. I will not divulge into details, of course. But, my young friend, you are not a pet, no... Why keep a filthy APE as a pet." He noted, and shook his head, putting his talons on his hips "That collar is simply making sure you stay here until I decided what I will do with you. Call it for effect to show my greatest catch off to the other Decepticons, a trophy if you will." He noted.

"Your 'GREATEST' catch?"

"That's right, you're not the first, and certainly will not be the last. We've abducted your kind since before you were born." Megatron stared at Aaron, and grinned wickedly "We take trophies, some we... Experiment on. Some we have found ways to make sparkling's using little cocoons." He nodded "Some, we do indeed, keep as pets. Slaves, are the one's we take more of though, far more use to be gained from them." He turned to Aaron once more, then grinned "Perhaps I'll put you in a cocoon, raise you as my own little sparkling. Oh the pain I could bring Prime by doing _that_." He began.

The claw the reached in toward Aaron caused the boy to back up quickly, his eyes widened. He felt the claw slice his arm, and howled with pain. The claw retracted however, within a matter of seconds. He opened his eyes, Megatron's optics were wide, stunned. Aaron looked down quickly, quickly having noticed the cause for his alarm. A mixture of both blood and _Energon _ran down the side of his arm. Aaron gripped his arm in shock, staring down at it then at Megatron. Megatron stared deeply into Aaron's eyes, for the first time, he saw it, they twisted, ever so slightly, like a pair of deep blue optics. "A techno-organic." Megatron's face was less-then-pleasant, he appeared amused, his mouth curved into a grin "Oh Prime, protecting one's own grandson to keep him hidden from me." He noted as he chuckled.

"What the FUCK are you talking about?"

"I knew the moment you were in my presence that there was something unique about you, Aaron." Megatron stared at Aaron, his optics flashed a bit, the boy gulped, feeling his stomach as it turned in knots "Bumblebee has done _well_ to keep you hidden from me. Certainly had Optimus fooled. But no one can fool me. All these years he has spent on Earth, searching for Samuel Witwicky." Megatron, opened the cage, and gripped Aaron tightly "Yet he managed to keep his own son safe for all this time. Only for his own FATHER to give him away." He noted, as he tossed Aaron against the wall, the boy screamed as he crashed to the ground.

"Bumblebee ISN'T my Father!"

"Oh, is that so? I'm sure if I had Soundwave break into your records. He would find you were _adopted_. The blond hair, the blue eyes... It should have been all too obvious." Megatron stepped forward, watching as Aaron shook violently, and stared up with bug eyes "Long have I heard rumors of you. Many have spoken of a human, birthed from such a HORRIFIC union of Cybertronian and human." He bent down, close enough to stare Aaron right in the eyes "I hope you've enjoyed your life outside, my young, techno-organic friend. Because you are never leaving this base." He then added, his fangs bared sinisterly "Your value to me, just skyrocketed." He noted.

As the claws moved down to grip him again, Aaron tried his best to crawl away. But as the darkness enveloped him, Aaron did the only thing he felt he could do at this point, he let out a loud, horrendous _scream_ of fear.

...

Bumblebee had never felt a harder, or sharper pain before in his life. The yellow mech visibly shook, crouched onto one knee, and gripped the side of the wall. He didn't know what had hit him, as he had never felt that before, but he definitely didn't like it. If it had been what he thought it was, Bumblebee had to question why he had felt it. Optimus, his own Father, had what he believed to be an 'Artifical Creation Bond' which only Bumblebee knew to be much more then that. But if Optimus, Aaron's own Grandfather couldn't feel him, how in Primus's name had Bumblebee just felt fear, pain, and shock all at once?

"BEE!" Bumblebee stared down at Sam, who stared up in complete and utter concern for his friend "Man, are you alright? I thought you were having a spark attack or something!"

Bumblebee shook his head a bit, and rose to his feet at once. He tried to re-establish the bond with Aaron as quickly as he could manage, yet found nothing. Whatever had just happened, he prayed to Primus Megatron was not aware of who Aaron was now. He had him hostage already, and the last thing he needed was his son in that kind of danger. He took a deep breath, and looked down upon Sam. "Stay here, I need to speak to Optimus before we head out." He noted.

"About what?"

"Something I should have told him years ago."

Bumblebee moved around the bewildered Sam, he didn't bother to pay attention to if Sam asked anything more. The matter a hand was urgent, and he'd most certainly fill him in when they were on the road. He made his way through the halls of NEST finally, he reached Optimus room, taking a deep breath, he entered. Optimus seemed to be preparing himself for battle, and normally, Bumblebee would leave him be, but at the moment, he couldn't. "Prime?" He stated quietly, Optimus turned his head "We need to talk." He began.

"I'm a little preoccupied by other matters Bumblebee, as you no doubt know."

"Optimus, Aaron's my child."

The gun Optimus was attaching to his arm fell with a loud _THUD_. Optimus turned his head, stunned by the words that had just escaped his son's mouth. He turned around fully to face Bumblebee, unsure as to whether or not to take his son seriously. The look in Bumblebee's eyes said it all, he was_ very_ serious. The timeline, Optimus realized, was correct. In the time the Scout had been on Earth he had time to Father the fourteen year old. "Bumblebee, you didn't." Optimus began quietly.

"I was young, on an alien planet. I have no knowledge of it being the human reproduction cycle yet. I didn't think what my holoform was doing would... Result in that." Bumblebee's head hung a bit "When his Mother found out she was pregnant with him, I left, I was _scared_ Prime. I didn't know what a human-Cybertronian offspring would be like." He shook his head "I thought maybe if I left, I could keep him out of the crossfire." He shook his head, he held the sides of his head tightly "And then he showed up, with those other parents. Definitely not his Mother. But I felt the bond instantly, it was always there, but that time it was stronger." He stated.

"Why did you never speak up?"

"I was afraid, Prime. Of what you'd think, what Galloway would do. Of the danger it would put him in." Bumblebee shook his head, trying to calm himself, yet he was visibly, physically, stressed "I didn't expect a Granparental Bond to kick in Prime. I thought it'd be dormant since I never truly knew him. But it did kick in, and what was I supposed to do? He had just lost everyone... You had formed the bond and..." He hung his arms "I was the absent Father who was never there for him." He noted.

Optimus stared at Bumblebee, honestly, unable to find words of comfort to tell his son. This was a shock for him, not only had his son Fathered a child, but his own _Grandson_ had been living near and with him for the last seven years and he never noticed. And now, worst of all, Megatron _had_ him, and Primus knew it was only a matter of time before he found out just who and what Aaron was. He sighed, stepped forward, and set his hands on Bumblebee's shoulders calmly. "It is true, you should have come forward sooner." Bumblebee's head hung "But what matters is you came forward with the truth, Bumblebee. As this gives us an unforeseen advantage over Megatron." He admitted.

"How?"

"A creation bond, no matter how weak, cannot be severed or interfered with." Bumblebee stared at Optimus with surprise, at how he had never thought of that before "If you can establish a link with him strong enough, we'll find him far more quickly then we would going blindly." He explained, staring at Bumblebee, who nodded, a look of determination slowly forming on his face "Do you think you can manage it?" He questioned.

"I can try." Bumblebee replied, he nodded his head a bit "For him, I'll have to."

Optimus watched as his son left, unsure whether to feel pained or understanding. He should have known, he should have known instantly, but he had let this slip from his comprehension. Megatron now held something of extreme value, and if he didn't know it now, he would soon. Taking a deep breath, he reached down, grabbed the canon once more and attached it, allowing it to move into his arm slowly. "Stay safe Aaron, we're coming." He whispered as he followed Bumblebee out at a quickened pace.

...

Have been debating with myself on this twist for quite a while now. Hope it was well-executed! :D


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER 25**

Aaron didn't know how to take all of this. His Father was Bumblebee, Optimus was his Grandfather, and he was suddenly Megatron's 'grandest trophy of all'. He felt a mass of feeling about all of this, he wanted to know why he ad never been told. He had known Bumblebee as long as he had Optimus, and in all seven years, the mech had never told him. In a way, Aaron felt as if Bumblebee had betrayed him. He closed his eyes slowly, but opened them at the prodding in his side, groaning in pain. Ravage snarled in his face, as if to tell him to keep awake, they needed him awake. Why that was, Aaron didn't know, but he had a feeling the reasoning was something he was not going to like one bit. "You will keep awake for this Aaron." Megatron noted "I need you awake." He noted with a growl.

Aaron stared around him again, where they were, he wasn't entirely sure. All he knew was they were situated deep in a forestry area. Megatron had told him that the base would have been to obvious to do what they were going to. He didn't want to be found, that much, Aaron was certain of. But the boy, who was bound from behind by barbed wire around his wrists, and gagged with a dirty old rag, had no idea why exactly that was. First he said he'd never lead the base, the next he dragged him out in the middle of a forest. If that wasn't confusing enough for him to not understand, he had no idea what was. "What do you want?" Aaron managed to question through the gag.

"That's very simple, I want a sample of your blood and Energon. What I want to know is..." Megatron turned his head towards Aaron "How yo were possible, after all, for now you are the only one of your kind." Megatron sneered a bit "But imagine, an army of you. Unlike Pretenders, you are truly half-human. And therefore, can infiltrate your government much easier." He then added "Once we have your blood, the need for normal birth will be unneeded. You will, in short, provide us with a serum which we will then inject in normal humans. With our own mixture, that will allow us to control them." He added.

Aaron shifted a bit, despite the fact Ravage was beside him. He didn't like where this was going, could Megatron actually do that? Use his DNA to make others like him through a simple injection? It was very unlikely, but Megatron didn't know it. In fact, he was so warped in his thoughts that it was likely he'd keep drawing blood until he got the results he wanted. Tears streaming his eyes, Aaron watched slowly as Megatron shifted forward. "Think of it this way, Aaron. This way none of your Autobot friends will be lured here using you. Then again, I doubt they care." He sneered "Bumblebee, of all mechs, Fathered you and he certainly didn't want you, now did he?" Aaron's head hung at that notion "What good is it for you to escape Aaron, when you're nothing but a nuisance, someone to pity." He added.

That struck Aaron the hardest of all, to the point where Aaron truly began to believe Megatron's words. Bumblebee had abandoned him, he had never even told him he was his Father. And though Aaron didn't know how it worked, he did know through Optimus that a Cybertronian knew when their child was near. Perhaps, it had been to protect him, but he still could have told him. No one else had to know, no one, he just would have liked to know. Especially once his parents had died, the notion that he had someone, anyone would have helped him through the darkest times of his life.

_"Aaron."_

Aaron's eyes flew open, had that been Bumblebee? But how, where? He stared around, there was no one, only Megatron, Ravage, and himself. No sign of a large yellow robot to be found. Where had that come from? He couldn't tell, nor could he be sure he wasn't hearing things. But the fact that his heart, or was it a spark? He didn't know, but either way, it seemed to pull forward in his chest. _"Aaron, I know you can hear me. It's going to be okay, son. Please, tell me where you are."_ He heard Bumblebee's voice clear as day this time, his body trembled _"Speak through your thoughts, I will hear you. But I cannot help you if yo do not talk to me."_ He noted.

For a moment, Aaron hesitated, the better half of his brain told him he was simply hearing things. But at last, he gave in. _"I don't know... Some forest... I never saw where they took me. I don't see... A highway." _He groaned in pain sitting up slowly _"I saw a highway though, maybe a... Mile..." _He couldn't keep up the telepathy any further, he was too weak, from lack of sleep and pain.

Megatron watched, knowingly, he growled, looming over Aaron briefly, he glared, raising up his foot. "Contact your Father through the creation bond again, and I will eliminate you." He growled, lowly, threateningly "No one can save you Aaron, accept that. I will simply move you each time they come close." He crouched down, red optics flashing "If I must, I will murder both Optimus and Bumblebee, before your very eyes. And take away the last ties to this world other then myself you have." He noted.

Neither had time to react to the blast that sent Megatron backing up slowly. Bumblebee burst through the procession of trees without another warning, transforming mid drive, spinning around, and gripping Ravage, he tossed him aside bitterly. Blasting through the Space Bridge the moment he had the co-ordinates alone was stupid, but for the first time in his life, orders didn't matter to Bumblebee. This was his son they were talking about, and he had to know he was safe. "Ah, the young Father finally shows compassion for his child. Isn't that sweet?" Megatron chuckle a grin never leaving his face "Welcome Bumblebee, I've been expecting you nephew." He added.

"You'd better have expected a lot more then just me showing up." Bumblebee kept his arm cannon carefully positioned at Megatron, a harsh glare had formed on his features "As they'd say in the old cop films." He used a radio clip, for full effect _"Look, we can do this the easy way or the _**HARD** _way."_ He noted, keeping himself between Megatron and Aaron "Either you let me leave with Aaron or I blow your slagging head off and end the war right here and now." He noted.

Megatron let out a loud, _resounding _cackle that echoed through the air. "Surely you're kidding. I could squash you just as easily I could squash your son." He noted, Megatron easily towered over Bumeblebee, stalking towards him carefully "And even if you did manage to take me down. How do you expect to destroy ALL of us?" He questioned.

Aaron watched in horror as two different figures appeared from the trees, Soundwave and Shockwave respectively. There guns pointed in Bumblebee's direction, even if Aaron was not all that happy with Bumblebee right now, he was still horrified. It had been a trap, all of this had been a trap, he had _wanted_ Bumblebee to find him. "Too easy... I knew the moment I realized who the boy was, you'd come right for him." Megatron chuckled "You're so predictable my young nephew. All the valor for a child you never even wanted." He shook his head "No you have handed me _three _valuable hostages." He noted.

"What are you talking about?"

Aaron felt a hand clamp on his shoulder, for a moment, he was ready to scream. But as he turned his head, a sigh of relief escaped his lips, it was Sam. He held a finger to his lips, hoping to get his young friend to keep as quiet as possible. "Where's your human friend, Bumblebee?" Megatron hissed as Sam began to relieve Aaron of his binds, and pulled the gag out of his mouth "It is unlike you to go without your little human friend." He noted.

Another blast nearby caused both Aaron and Sam to fall to the ground. Optimus stepped out of the shadows, Ironhide and Mirage poised behind him. Aaron's eyes widened in shock, though he should have seen it coming, if Bumblebee was already there, they'd be right behind him. After all, Bumblebee was smart, he had to have seen the trap coming, even if he had hoped it wasn't the case. "Relax Aaron, it's alright." Sam whispered, trying to keep him calm as he watched a large battle begin, Bumblebee and Optimus both took on Megatron, as Mirage took on Shockwave, and Ironhide took Soundwave respectively "Do you have the energy to run?" He asked.

"I... I can.."

Sam didn't give him a chance to answer, gripping the boy and pulling him into his arms, Sam began a dead bolt away from the scene. Stray blasts flew by them, the two barely able to dodge each. For a moment, Sam was sure they were going to die, the forest was too dense and hard to get through. But the sound of loud footsteps told him otherwise, Sam stared up, back towards Bumblebee, who was rushing beside them. Scooping both up, he fired a blast over his shoulder at Megatron, who had pushed down two trees and was closing in, _fast_. "He's persistent, isn't he?" Aaron questioned.

"You have no idea." Sam muttered.

Tossing the two mid air, Bumblebee quickly transformed around them, carefully positioning Aaron in the passenger's seat. Sam, of course, was within the driver's seat. Behind them, Bumblebee watched as Megatron transformed into his large mach truck mode, giving pursuit. The Comaro was quick, but even he wouldn't deny that Megatron was more powerful, and had his own speed to match Bumblebee's. As Megatron prepared to ram him, the Decepticon leader had no time to react before Optimus slammed into his side. Hard, and with the amount of speed he had, sending Megatron spinning, and collapsing onto his side. He didn't move clearly in stasis lock.

Aaron smiled a bit, he breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the seat. Even if Soundwave and Shockwave were left, he knew with Megatron out for the count, at least for now. He was safe, or at least, he prayed he was. He felt the jostle of the body as they went flying into the space bridge, coming to a quick stop in the middle of NEST Base.

...

The Space Bridge closed behind Bumblebee as well as Optimus. Aaron and Sam scrambled out of either side of Bumblebee. Both he and Optimus transformed. "Are you both alright?" Bumblebee questioned, crouching down to the small beings carefully "Primus, they didn't hurt you did they?" He questioned Aaron once he was sure Sam was alright.

Aaron stared at Bumblebee, unsure of how to answer, or even how to look at the mech after all of this. However, he had just saved his life, and they could easily handle all of this later. "I'm fine..." He told him as he turned his head towards Optimus who's chest was clearly dented "DAD!" He shouted.

Aaron rushed over, concern filling him, after all he had just been in rather hard collision with Megatron. Optimus smiled down at his son, or rather Grandson, what he was to consider Aaron anymore, by this point, was up in the air. He stared up at Bumblebee, who seemed pained. Clearly a part of him wished Aaron had been running to him, screaming the word. "I'm fine Aaron, I've had far worse collisions." He told him calmly, crouching and pulling him into a hug gently "I am only glad you're safe." He added.

Ironhide and Mirage returned sometime later, but not by much. Less battle-worn, yet grumbled as Optimus ordered them to the med bay. He would soon join him, however Optimus knew they had other matters to handle. He looked at Bumblebee calmly. The yellow mech nodded his head, and Sam left, knowing he needed to allow the three alone time. Aaron took a deep breath, and looked between the two of them slowly, he crossed his arms. "So this is awkward." Aaron managed to break the silence "My brother's my Dad, and my 'Dad' is my Grandfather. If I didn't know any better... I'd say we were in some bad soap opera." He told them, trying to lighten the mood.

"Aaron, please, now is not the time to be making jokes." Optimus stared down at his Grandson slowly "This is a serious matter. In fact, very serious." He stated, he looked upon Bumblebee slowly, but looked back down, looking upon the 'collar' around Aaron's neck he snapped it off "So that is why our bond was severed?" Aaron nodded his head slowly "Never again." He commented as he crushed the collar in his hand.

Bumblebee looked the most awkward out of the three of them. He had a tough choice in front of him, Aaron knew now, there was nothing stopping him from taking Aaron and at least trying to be his Father. Yet at the same time, his own Father had taken care of him for a year, and he hated the thought of breaking up a family, let alone part of his. "Well, there's not much to say Prime. You've been doing a good job with him." Bumblebee noted, he looked down upon Aaron "Primus knows I haven't been Father material. I could barely handle babysitting him." He commented.

"Son, you are his real Father. I will not allow you to simply hand him over." Optimus stated, calmly, he looked upon Aaron slowly.

Aaron turned around, he stared up at Optimus slowly, confused at what he exactly meant. But inside he knew exactly what he had meant. He couldn't have two Fathers, life would be far too complicated. By all legal means, Optimus was his Grandfather, not his Father. Custody of him _legally _and rightfully belonged to Bumblebee. The yellow mech noted the pain his son's eyes, yet again, Bumblebee crouched low. "Aaron, you wouldn't have to leave." He spoke quietly "I wouldn't take you from here, but I would like a second chance at being your Dad." He commented.

"What about Sam?"

Bumblebee stood straight, there may have been a time where Sam truly needed him. But that day had long since passed, he was growing up, living in Washington DC with Carly. He was an adult now, and one that he was certain could move on without him. He knew that Sam would understand his position, Sam would always be his best friend, always his charge. But Aaron was his son, and the time had come where he could neglect that no longer. "He will understand. They don't have room for all of us in their apartment. And this way, we'll both be in your life." He shook his head "You won't have to choose." He commented.

Aaron stared between the two of them, he couldn't deny Bumblebee what he wanted. It would take, all kinds of getting used now. But eventually, he knew he'd learn to grow used to Optimus as 'Grandpa' and Bumblebee as 'Dad'. Despite the awkwardness of it all, he realized, he was no longer alone. That was all that he ever wanted, to be a part of this family, and though the circumstances were strange, he got what he had wanted. "How can I say no?" He smiled at Bumblebee awkwardly, trying to stay standing despite his wound, and weakness.

Bumblebee carefully scooped up the tiny form of his son into his hand, and turned to Optimus. Who nodded, understanding the two of them had much to talk about on their way to the Med Bay. "C'mon son, we have much to talk about. And we need to get that arm checked out." He noted, carrying him away.

As Optimus watched him leave, he thought he would feel sad, depressed even. But rather, he was quite happy, somehow, no matter how small the thought had been, he had always known it was supposed to be this way. Perhaps his inner spark had known Bumblebee was Aaron's Father, perhaps not. But either way, he felt the last feeling he had expected, joy. To know his son was not only happy, but that, in some odd part of his mind. Aaron was indeed a part of his family.

...

Wow, long chapter, I tried to put a lot more detail into this battle. But like I said before, I'm not the best at fight scenes. :( Hope it was done better this time at least! :D


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER 26**

Aaron and Bumblebee found a quiet place to take the moment things had calmed down. The Autobots that had searched for Aaron were back, Sam had gone homes with Wheeljack, for the time being until other arrangements could be made, and Optimus had gone back to work. They had settled for Aaron's room, Aaron was on his bed, while Bumblebee sat in Comaro form in a corner. His holoform on the edge of Aaron's bed. The man looked so much like Aaron it was shocking no one had never noticed. Short, dark blond hair, dark blue eyes, tall, muscular, lean, but youthful, at least thirty years old, or perhaps his late twenties. Aaron could only guess that as he grew up, he'd continue to look like a spitting image of his Father. As such, it felt almost as though he was looking into a mirror, or perhaps, into the future.

"This is really awkward." Aaron commented as he stared at Bumblebee "Less then two weeks ago, Optimus was filing for adoption. Now they're working on transferring me into your custody." Aaron shifted, sitting up and looked away for a moment "You do know I'm not going to be calling you 'Dad' or anything for a while, right?" He asked, making sure Bumblebee understood and didn't take offense to it.

"I don't expect it Aaron, you didn't know me up until seven years ago. And even then, I never... Told you." Bumblebee noted, he shifted awkwardly, standing and taking a deep breath "You must hate me. But I promise you I planned to tell you the truth. I never wanted you to learn like this." He added, he stared at Aaron slowly "I only ever kept it a secret from you, Optimus, and the rest of the Autobots for your own safety." He began, he shook his head "You are the only of your kind, Aaron, you are worth a great deal of money. Bounty Hunters would kill to sell you on the black market." He then added "And rest assured, my enemies will soon become yours." He noted.

It was unusual to hear Bumblebee speak so forwardly, but he understood why the mech was doing it. In this situation he had to be forward, to try and explain his reasoning. He sighed a bit, and took a deep breath, staring at Bumblebee. "You know, they didn't even tell me I was adopted." He frowned "That was what hurt the most. Just... Knowing both of you gave me up. And I never even got the chance to search for you." Bumblebee's brow furrowed a bit "I know why you gave me up. The more I think about it, the more I get it." He shifted a bit "But why did she? What was so wrong with me that she..." He fell silent.

Bumblebee had a few ideas as to why she had abandoned Aaron. He was only half human, and likely had some rather unique characteristics. Perhaps that was the problem, she had thought there was something wrong with her child. Perhaps she thought it to be a mutation, or just that he was simply a freak. Either way, the facts were, she had abandoned Aaron, which only made the mech feel worse for leaving them both. It had been for his son's sake, as well as due to his mission, but still he could have returned after finding Sam, after Mission City. Tried to find his son, at the very least, rather then simply move on. "They're going to want to run tests on me now, you know. Dissect me like an insect." Aaron noted.

"They'll want to run tests, yes, this has been discussed." Bumblebee stared at Aaron "But the tests will be humane, simple blood tests and tissue samples. Nothing more, NEST's scientists will not allow any actual physical harm to come to you. Neither will I." He noted, flexing his muscles a bit "And in case you haven't noticed, I have the advantage over any scientist who dares go at you with a _knif_e." Bumblebee stated, he sighed a bit "I'm more worried about the Fathering part of this. Primus I'm barely out of younglinghood myself..." He shook his head a bit.

"You have Optimus to help you out."

Bumblebee nodded in agreement, he did have Optimus, who had done a bang up job raising him so far. Bumblebee knew if he ever had any sort of trouble taking care of Aaron, he could always turn to him. Besides, he was certain Aaron would spend a great deal of time around his Grandfather given the relationship they shared. Running his hand through Aaron's hair, he took a deep breath, and looked him over. "You're right, but as a Father the last thing I want... Is to require the constant assistance of my own Father." He said honestly, but he shook his head a bit "Regardless though, I am thankful you two are so close. I could surely use the help, not going to deny that." He admitted.

"Nothing wrong with accepting help when you need it, is there?" Aaron asked, looking up at Bumblebee who nodded in agreement "So, about this whole private school thing..." Bumblebee gave him a look that he had often gotten from Optimus "It still stands, doesn't it?" Bumblebee only nodded "Figures, that probably a really stupid question." He admitted, deciding to change the subject, he shifted a bit "How long have you known you were my Dad?" He questioned.

"Since the day we met." Bumblebee was very honest with his answer "The moment I set my optics on you, I felt my spark, our bond, tug for you. It was why I was so quick to get to know you I had to know what you were like, that you were okay." He smiled gently "Your parents raised you well, something I am... Grateful for. Although there were days that you'd call Brandon Dad, and I'd just want to correct you there and then." He said honestly "You have no idea _how_ many times I came close to telling you the truth." He admitted.

"Why didn't you?"

"Barricade still being on the loose was my biggest reason. We've had a feud for centuries, and I didn't want him to learn you existed." Bumblebee admitted, he shook his head a bit "He would hurt you, possibly even kill you. And it's one of the many reasons I am nervous at this moment." He admitted "Do me a favor, if a Police Car ever tries to stop you on the side of the road, run." He added "Unless they end up really being cops looking for help. Run as fast and hard as you can and don't look back." He added.

Aaron wasn't even sure he wanted to know why, but he did remember Barricade, having been one of the mechs that captured him. He decided not to tell Bumblebee about that, for fear that it would enrage him, or worse. "No stopping for strange police cars, got it." Aaron commented, though he couldn't help but chuckle a little "Though can I just say that's the last thing I'd think I'd have to worry about." He commented.

Bumblebee rolled his eyes at his son's somewhat-immaturity, he supposed it was his fault, he had been the same way growing up. Not only did the boy seem to strongly resemble him, but apparently, he was just as much of a smart-ass as he had been as well. "Strange as it is, I'm serious son. Barricade chose that as his alternate mode. And of all the Decepticons other then Megatron I fear getting their hands on you... Barricade takes the cake." He shook his head, and stood up a bit "If even he got his hands on you, I can tell you right now... I would not be breathing by the end of it. He force me to choose your life or mine." He noted.

"Sounds like a real friendly guy."

Bumblebee chuckled, watching as Aaron climbed into the covers of his bed, it was only then that Bumblebee realized how late it was. Taking a deep breath, Bumblebee carefully moved the blankets over Aaron, who looked surprised. Bumblebee only smiled however, he brushed Aaron's blond hair from his blue eyes, and smiled. Sitting on the bed yet again, he thought for a moment of what to say. "I know I've never had the chance to say this... Aaron. But, even though I gave you up, and I've never been around like I should have been. I do love you." He commented, figuring Aaron needed to hear that, to be assured of it "And I hope you'll give me the chance to show you that." He added.

He left quietly, transforming and closing the door as he did so, and took a deep breath. It had been a difficult day, but he had always known this day would have come, it had just been a matter of time. Though he now wondered just how much his life would change, he was a young, single father, barely twenty-eight by human standards, raising a fourteen year old son. Of course, he had been this age when he was conceived as well, after all, Cybertronians only aged every century. That was a whole different ballpark, this was a living, breathing creature that was now his responsibility.

He hoped for both Aaron's and his sake that he knew exactly what he was getting himself into.

...

The tests they did on Aaron were humane, painless, but extremely long. He was sure it was tough for Bumblebee to watch, considering what Sector Seven had done to him when he first met Sam. But at the same time, it was the reason Bumblebee and Optimus were supervising, to make sure they kept to their word and did no harm to him. He saw the yellow mech actually flinch when they drew the blood and energon mixture from Aaron, clearly he didn't like watching this. But at the same time, they were all, Autobot and human, curious as to how Aaron's systems and the like worked. Clearly he was more human then Transformer, but his biology was a very curious thing, regardless. As the first of his kind, even the Autobots couldn't be too sure.

Finally after taking a fourth tissue sample, the lead scientist took a deep breath and smiled. "That's all we'll need to go by. We should have some answers within a month, maybe more, maybe less." He stared at Aaron who nodded his head "Thank you, Mr. Pax, for allowing us the chance to study you. We know it was not easy, i do believe it is something we'd all like more answers for." He added.

"Hey, at least you didn't dissect me, right?"

The scientist chuckled at Aaron's comment, a common misbelief. Sure, they might do something such as that when he was dead, with the right papers. But otherwise, they wouldn't dissect any living being no matter how fascinating they may be. Most movies overplayed 'tests' they did on living aliens, though, had Sector 7 been still a part of the government, that would have been an entirely different story. "Nah, we don't dissect living creatures. I'd feel like I was dissecting my own son." The scientist explained "Any dizziness? We drew blood so I have to be sure you're not weak." He added.

"Just a little dizzy, not too bad though." Aaron smiled a bit "Can I go now?"

The scientist nodded his head a bit, allowing Aaron to stand from the berth he had been laying on. Bumblebee visibly relaxed more when it was all over, and he knew they would do no more to Aaron. Of course, he had known they wouldn't but a part of him couldn't get past what Sector Seven had done to him. He sighed in relief, scooping his son into his hand and resting him on his shoulder. "You okay big guy?" Aaron questioned.

"Now that it's over, I'm much better." Bumblebee nodded his head a bit, then turned to Optimus "They really won't need any more tests, correct?" He questioned.

"Galloway wanted more done, I refused it, as did the President." Optimus noted, looking at Bumblebee, then at Aaron "I'd rather not deal with my Grandson undergoing any more of that. He is not a lab rat, as the President put it. They got what samples they needed to deduce how he works." He shook his head a bit, and looked at Bumblebee.

"Hearing the word Grandson still feels weird." Aaron noted.

Optimus smiled a bit, knowing exactly how to fix that, at least for the moment. "Being my Grandson does have its perks." He noted, he winked at Aaron "It means I get to spoil you more then I would have if you had been my son." Aaron's eyes brightened up while Bumblebee simply chuckled.

"Careful Prime, he is mine. You might end up regretting saying that."

As the three exited the lab, Aaron let his thoughts quietly stray. Perhaps this wasn't all bad, awkward perhaps, but not bad. He could only hope that this was the end of the surprises, he wasn't sure he could handle any more unexpected surprises.

...

Wow three chapters in one day, I was certainly on a roll tonight. Won't update again until tomorrow most likely. But at least I'm now more caught up after my break. :) We'll get to see how Robbie's handling all of this next chapter.


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER 27**

He was jealous, Robbie had to face that now, he was jealous, plain and simple. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for Aaron, after all he had been through, Aaron deserved this. But at the same time, it completely outed him. Robbie was now not only the only human in the Pax family, but also, the only adopted member of the family. It hadn't been so bad before Aaron showed up, but now even a human-looking member was an actual member of the family. And what was he? Just a human kid who had gotten lucky, at least, that was how he saw it. Robbie had no biological family, and he was positive by now that he wasn't a Techno-Organic, there was certainly no energon in his bloodstream.

Aaron was something special, a practical miracle of science, and Robbie? In his mind he was just a kid, he was just Robbie, nothing special about him. He sat perched upon the roof of the NEST Base quietly as he watched the sun slowly rise. It was early to be up, yet it was the perfect time to get some much-needed thinking done. A hand grasped his shoulder, making him jump, he turned his head, and quickly found himself staring at the holoform of Optimus. "Mind if I join you?" Optimus questioned, Robbie nodded, and Optimus carefully seated himself next to his nephew "You're up early Robert, it's unusual for you. What is troubling you?" He questioned.

"It's nothing Uncle Prime. nothing you need to worry about anyway." Robbie turned his head toward Optimus slowly "You'd find it silly."

"Robert, I told you before, I will always be here to listen." Optimus told him quietly, already knowing the likely problem "Regardless of my own thoughts, I would suspected someone like you would only be up here when they needed to talk. Perhaps to themselves, or to anyone who wished to listen." He added quietly, he stared down at him calmly "So, what is pressing your mind, Robert?" He questioned.

Robbie shifted uncomfortably, but knew he should talk to Optimus despite the discomfort. "It's just this whole thing with Aaron, I guess." Robbie told him quietly, trying to not sound selfish "I mean, I'm happy for him, I really am. But... It made me feel so... Unneeded? I don't know, I'm not even sure how to put it." Robbie admitted as he placed his hands in his pockets calmly, he looked over at Optimus "I know I sound selfish, but I guess some part of me wanted that to happen to me." He sighed a bit.

Optimus understood all too well how Robbie felt, the boy had never had stable biological family. For this reason, the fact Aaron had found a loving, stable family made Robbie feel like an odd man out. He understood it, and in a way, his spark went out to the boy, as he knew that, sadly, Robbie would never have that. He had no living family, his adoptive one was all he had. And that, he knew, was a hard thing to deal with. "Robert, you know no matter how you came into this family you're as much a part of it as Aaron is." He said quietly, taking a deep breath "You don't need to be a Techno-Organic to be as important a part of it as he is." He noted.

"I don't feel that way. I mean, I know Magnus wanted a real son. Like Bumblebee got. Or like you got a real Grandkid." Robbie stared up at Optimus, now they were getting to the root of it all "I can never give him that Prime. I'll always be adopted. My kids, if I even have any, will never be real 'Magnus''s, just like I never-."

"I'm going to stop you right there." Optimus interrupted, he stared at his nephew with a very serious and firm stare "Do you honestly believe Magnus cares, if you are related to him biologically?" Robbie turned his head, unsure of how to answer "Robert, you mean the _universe _to him. Do you honestly believe, had you not, that he would have kidnapped you that night?" Robbie stared at Optimus, and shook his head honestly "Exactly, you mean as much to him as any 'biological' child." He ran his hand along his nephew's nearest arm gently in a caress "And not only does he love you, but I do too. And so does Bumblebee." He noted, this caused Robbie to smile "And I'd hope that having a loving family regardless of relation, would be enough." He admitted.

Robbie stared at Optimus for a moment, he nodded his head, and stood, continuing to look out in the distance. He knew that Optimus was telling him the truth, after all, his Uncle never lied. He took a deep breath and allowed Optimus to stand beside him, his mouth curved into a smile. He took a deep breath, and stared at Optimus calmly. "I know you do. There are just days I wonder _why_ I was put in this family. Why me?" He shook his head "There's nothing special about me, unlike Aaron. I don't... I'm not part-you. I haven't saved the world, I haven't done _anything _to get here." He shook his head.

"Perhaps you have done none of those things." Optimus began, he stared at his nephew with a look of pure seriousness "But everything, nephew happens for a reason, as your kind would say. Destiny is quiet mysterious, but I do believe your destiny is one that has yet to present itself." Robbie turned to him, surprised "When I first met you, there was something about you... Something even in my many years online, I cannot understand. Perhaps, you are not like Aaron. But, that does not mean you are not special." He admitted "Perhaps, you are far more special then you give yourself credit for." He admitted.

Robbie stared at Optimus, and wondered what he meant. What destiny could he possibly have? Of course, he had heard of Sam's 'Destiny', but he certainly wasn't anything like Sam. They were different people entirely, and he doubted they had many more Matrix of Leadership's lying around. If he had a destiny of any kind, he hoped that it would, at least eventually, show itself, hit him over the head even. But at this rate, he wasn't sure whether or not to truly believe Optimus's beliefs. "Maybe Uncle Prime, maybe." He shook his head a bit, and looked up at Optimus "But I wouldn't count on it." He added.

Optimus watched as the boy made his way away from him, and silently hoped his words would help him. Whether Robbie believed them or not, he knew that Robbie did have a destiny, what it was, he did not know. But there was something about the human boy, something that reminded him of Sam. A human whom he had known was destined for great things as well. He decided, however, not to dwell on the thoughts, at least, for now.

...

Mirage hadn't spent as much time with Robbie as usual, and for once, the Ferari felt a bit bothered by that. He knew all too well the tough time his charge was going through, and not being there for him, it made him feel like a bad friend. After all, next to Wheeljack, he had grown to consider Robbie his best friend, yet, as human customs said, best friends were there through everything. He sighed a bit as he rubbed the back of his helm, the dent that Soundwave had given him still hurt, but Ratchet had assured it would fix itself in a week. He wasn't entirely sure he could wait that long.

The irony of finding Robbie nearby, alone was strange, but Mirage simply smirked a bit. Coming behind him and carefully scooping him into one hand. "What's up shortie?" He questioned as he pulled him onto his shoulder "You look kinda down." He noted.

"Not so much down as I am confused. This whole thing with Aaron's thrown me off a bit." Robbie admitted, he stared at his Guardian calmly "You did hear, right?" Mirage gave him a look that practically spelled out 'you're kidding, right?' "Of course, at this point, everyone's probably heard. It's not every day the first person of an entire species is found out." He shook his head and chuckled a bit.

"You're not jealous, are you?"

"A little, but I guess what Uncle Prime told me earlier made me feel much better." Robbie admitted, he stared at Mirage quietly "But still, he's lucky. I mean, unlike me, he's luck enough to really be related to our family. It's not exactly easy, y'know? Being the odd man out." He shrugged his shoulders, and looked away for a moment "But Uncle Prime said I have some sort of destiny, that I was put into all of this for a reason." He shook his head a bit, and crossed his arms "I'm not sure what to think of that exactly. But hopefully said-destiny is nothing bad." He noted.

"Knowing you kid, that destiny will probably make Sam's look like nothing." Mirage winked a bit, nudging his friend in this ribs with a finger lightly "You seem to get yourself into enough trouble without being half-Transformer as is anyway. I think you should be happy you aren't." He then chuckled as Robbie laughed, and nodded in agreement "Besides, I don't think Magnus would want you any other way." He grinned a bit.

Robbie nodded, after having heard it twice, he did agree. Magnus was happy with him just the way he was. And even if he had been a Techno-Organic, then what? What if, by some odd chance, he hadn't been biologically related to the Prime family? More then likely, he could have seen Mirage as his Father more then most other mechs on the base. That would have been nothing but difficult, unlike Aaron, he'd have to choose. And being he loved his Father, and like all too much, he was more then happy to live with not being a Techno-Organic. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Besides, I don't see myself biologically related to any of them anyway." He admitted, he shrugged a bit "And the last thing I want is to no longer be a member of that family." He admitted.

"That's the spirit."

If Mirage had said anything further, Robbie didn't hear him. His mind was elsewhere, towards Optimus's words. He didn't want to admit it, but it made him wonder if perhaps, Optimus was right. Could it simply be coincidence he had become the only human in the 'Pax' family? Or was there something more, something further to all of this? He took a deep breath, and pushed the thoughts away. As he figured that, he'd learn of any destiny he may have had soon enough.


	28. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER 28**

Aaron had been having a hard time sleeping since the entire situation with Bumblebee had come into fruition. It wasn't so much that he was frightened that things had become increasingly strange. Since Bumblebee had taken him into his custody, everything had seemed to change. He had begun to notice the fact he was growing somewhat stronger. Every so often, static, almost like static electricity would move between his fingers. And he was beginning to notice he could understand one, maybe two or three words of Cybertronian. Bumblebee had explained it was very likely because of the bond, now that they were normally around one another, Aaron's Transformer half was maturing. But they would not truly know about the static until the test results came back. Though, both he and Bumblebee had noted it was strangely like glow Bumblebee's built-in stingers gave.

Since the moment his true heritage had come to fruition, the base had become a bit divided. You could easily tell those who found it disgusting from those who didn't, as they'd often glare from behind clipboards or the like, and mutter things such as 'freak' under their breaths. Aaron had learned to ignore them, as they were few and far between, yet the words still stung him, hard. He knew Bumblebee felt his pain, as he constantly assured him that they'd learn to accept him. Yet Aaron had no idea why they would, it wasn't like humans were constantly having relationships with Transformers. He had to accept that he was, and chances were, always would be, a one of a kind creature that everyone was either disgusted or fascinated with. With a few in-between who would see him like any other human being, such as Will, Epps, and the President, who apparently asked he be treated as such.

It was this reason he couldn't sleep the first few days. He feared some radical would break into his room and kill him. But once he realized just how unlikely that was, he eventually found it much easier to sleep. He sighed a bit, tugging at his new school uniform a bit. Uniforms, the one thing every teenager dreaded, yet they had one at nearly every Private School. Bumblebee had assured him it was for his own safety. Even if Optimus wasn't his Father, he was still his Grandfather, between Bumblebee and Optimus he now had more enemies then he could likely count. He was only safe behind the walls of a Private School and he knew it. "You don't look _that_ bad." Bumblebee noted.

Aaron turned his head toward his Father, who had poked his head through the doorway. He rolled his eyes a bit, and turned to Bumblebee, the white collared shirt, red blazer, and black slacks combo looked awkward on him. But then again, Bumblebee was probably trying to be nice, his Father was still v_ery_ young by Cybertronian standards, and he knew how bad he probably felt. "Bee, I look like a clown... Seriously, you don't need to lie or act mature just because you're my Dad." Aaron rolled his eyes a bit at Bumblebee "I've known you for seven years and if you act any more like an old man Father, you're going to drive me insane." He admitted.

Bumblebee smirked, Aaron made a point, the more he acted not his age, the more he felt the real him slip a little. He ducked under and into the boy's room, and shook his head a bit, activating his holoform, whom put his hands upon Aaron's shoulders. "Oh come on, you'll show up in a sexy hot rod like me." He noted, ruffling his hair a little "You'll have the girls all over you. Slag, I was personally responsible for making Sam and his first Girlfriend a couple." He noted.

Aaron grinned sheepishly a bit, now this was the Bumblebee he grew up knowing. A little on the show-offy side, a kid at heart, but overly sweet and kind. "Yeah, yeah, you think a little too much of yourself, you know that?" Aaron joked, he patted him on the shoulder a bit "Come on Bee, the last thing I need on top of all of this... Is a girlfriend. Sure, no one outside of NEST knows yet. But they're going to find out." He told him, shaking his head a little bit.

"You're not a freak Aaron, ignore the fraggers who've been saying you are." Bumblebee told him, he smiled a bit "Come on, you're like your old man, a ladykiller. Just... Be careful with the static electricity." He noted "Lest you shock yet another person." He added.

"Yeah, Lennox sure didn't like that did he?"

Aaron chuckled a bit at the memory of brushing against the Major, and shocked him completely. Needless to say, had that not happened they'd have no idea that Aaron was developing anything beyond what a normal human could do. He looked and acted human, even functioned like one, but ever so slowly, he was inheriting some of his Father's abilities. At least, that had been Ratchet's guess when they had met with him about the strange phenomena only a few hours later. "Not at all, but I'll be 'damned' if it wasn't funny." Bumblebee chuckled a bit "You should get your stuff together, I'll be waiting at the space bridge." He added.

Aaron nodded at Bumblebee calmly, in a way he almost wished Optimus was dropping him off. But he supposed it was the side-affects of having him as a Father figure for so long. He had to admit, the longer he and Bumblebee had spent bonding as Father and Son, the more comfortable he was becoming. Bumblebee didn't smother, he may have been overprotective but being with him gave him a sense of security. Maybe it was the bond, maybe it wasn't, he didn't know. But whatever the feeling he got was, he liked it. As he grabbed his backpack and made his way out, he was quick to notice Optimus, who leaned near the door. "Hey... Optimus." Aaron smiled a bit, still not yet ready to call the mech 'Grandpa' "What brings you here?" He questioned.

"I wanted to see you off." Optimus stated, Aaron knew at once there was far more on his Grandfather's mind "I also wished to know how you are doing. I know this transition has not been the easiest." He noted as he and Aaron began a long walk down the hallway "I hope you aren't too upset that I gave you over to your Father." Aaron didn't look at the mech "You know he did want you. I could tell from the bond, and I was not... About to deny my son his child." He turned his head down to Aaron "Are you not happy either way?" He questioned.

"I am, it's just odd... For all this time, Bee was just my big brother. Hypothetically and then obviously realistically. Knowing he's my Dad is just..." Aaron looked down, putting his hands in his pockets "I never expected it to feel this right Optimus. I mean, I love you, but Bee... When I'm around him it's like this one part of my life I was missing is right there now." He admitted as he shook his head "It sounds crazy, I know." He muttered.

"It's the bond, Aaron. Perhaps you never noticed, but the bond has always been there. But as Bumblebee has not raised you it was weakened." Optimus began to explain, hoping he could shed some light on the subject "You are lucky to have not lost him to the Great War. As many born in it have not had the privilege of having that gap filled." He smiled down at the boy calmly "And as you are quickly learning, if you had not felt it, that feeling of a gap... Of an unknown longing would always be there." He noted.

Aaron nodded, at least he thought he understood what the mech meant. He had, after all, never known his parents, or creators as they called them, and therefore likely had that longing himself. A part of the young man felt grateful that he would never feel that longing, not anymore at least. He had never noticed that part of it before, but now that he thought about it. Whenever he had been near Bumblebee he did feel like a void was filled. It was strange how much he realized after he had found out the truth really. "I guess I know what you mean Optimus. There were, a lot of times when I was near Bumblebee that I felt... Different." Aaron looked away a bit "I never told you because I thought you'd think I was nuts." He admitted with a shrug.

"Might have helped us to find this out sooner." Optimus admitted "But what's done is done Aaron, no need to worry about it." He added.

Aaron nodded in agreement, he it was pretty stupid to worry about it. What mattered was that Aaron was now aware of it all. He was with his real family now, he was, though he didn't admit it, happy. And frankly, the more time that seemed to pass the more comfortable with it all he was. They reached the Space Bridge calmly, and he allowed Optimus to mess up his hair with a forefinger gently."Good luck, I know you'll do well." The mech winked at him.

"Love you Grandpa."

Optimus smiled, it was the first time Aaron had become comfortable with the title. And though Optimus was used to him calling him 'Dad', the word 'Grandpa' from Aaron felt somehow just a bit more right. "Love you too Aaron." He noted.

Aaron jogged off towards the waiting form of Bumblebee, and for a moment, Optimus wished he was rushing to him. Perhaps it had been from knowing Aaron for so long, but he had to accept now that Aaron was better off with Bumblebee. He was his Grandfather, and though he loved him, he couldn't be the Father Aaron needed. Bumblebee had much maturing and growing up to do of his own. But in a way, Optimus knew having Aaron, a living, breathing creature to take care of would certainly help the process. Being a Father greatly changed a person, and he was already seeing that a bit in Bumblebee. And he had certainly seen his younger brother change as well once Robbie had entered his life.

Optimus sighed happily, he rested his hands on his hips, and let his thoughts quietly stray. Things were changing, and fast. But somewhere in his mind, Optimus was certain that there were still more to come. In the back of his mind, every word he had said to Robbie was true. The fact the two children had shown up in their lives could be no coincidence. Primus had a plan, perhaps even the God the humans had did as well. What it was yet, Optimus could not be certain, even in his time in the afterlife, none had warned him of any of this. Whatever it was, however, Optimus was certain it would all unravel in good time, as did most things.

He watched quietly as Bumblebee and Aaron entered the Space Bridge before he took a deep breath. He reassured himself that Aaron would be fine before making his way toward his office. Lest he shirk his duties by worrying about it the rest of the day.


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER 29**

"Aaron, you need to concentrate."

Aaron stared up at Ironhide slowly, electricity was still charging through his fingers. Robbie by this point in their training, had hid behind the nearest blockable surface. He had managed to break everything but the training dummy he was supposed to break. In fact, he was pretty positive the most he had done that morning was manage to leave a rather nasty gash in Ironhide's arm, at which point the black mech had been close to killing him. He was already missing the training that Robbie got, the simple, basic, training. But as a half-Autobot, Aaron's unique abilities had to be better trained, less he loose control of them at the wrong moment. "I'm trying Uncle 'Hide, but this isn't easy." Aaron stared up at the mech "I can't control the discharges." He added.

"That's why we're here Aaron, to help you learn to. Your Father had a hard time too." Ironhide admitted, he placed his hands on his hips slightly "Every Cybertronian's special abilities can only be controlled through complete concentration." He explained, he crouched down a bit "Think of yourself as a bolt of what humans call, lightning striking against the Earth. They have a certain path and wavelength they follow." He then added "The same goes for your finger stingers, they need to follow a path." He stood straight up.

"So what? I have to create an electrical current?" Aaron questioned, Ironhide nodded his head "Well, that's not exactly easy. I'm not some sword of chord Uncle Ironhide, seriously." He commented.

"Just try youngling, I ain't taking no for an answer."

Aaron stared at Ironhide, taking a deep breath, he shook his head. Ironhide was crazy, and even if this wasn't new news he seemed even more insane then usual. In all the years he'd known Ironhide, the mech had never been this tough on him. He was like his Uncle, hence the title he gave him. He had been there just as much as Optimus had been when his adopted parents had died. But between himself and Annabelle Lennox, Will's daughter he was never tough, until now, at least. Aaron stared at the dummy again, letting his fingers charge up with glowing, blue, energy.

Yet again, he had done something wrong, it rebounded off the walls, like a ball. Before heading straight back for him, Aaron's eyes widened in shock. Yet Ironhide stepped forward, catching it just barely and discharging it. He turned to Aaron, and shook his head a bit. "You're getting better kiddo. That was very well done." Ironhide smirked, surprising Aaron "You were able to make shapes, notice the orb? That was what concentration does." He nodded a bit "Next time though, for your sake, I'd try and hit the _dummy_ Primus knows what that powerful a charge could have done to you." He added.

Aaron noticed concern in Ironhide's optics, clearly he now realized perhaps pushing Aaron that hard this early had not been smart. He knew better, far better, that Aaron would not even be fighting in the war until he was older. To train him for such harsh combat could have indeed gotten him hurt or killed. For a sparkling or youngling, it would have been easier, but Aaron was half-human, so he did have to take it easier on him. Primus, he didn't like having to do that, especially since he would have liked to see his full potential, but he knew he had to. "Alright, I think that's enough for you today Aaron." He turned his head towards Robbie "Ye ready Robbie?" He questioned.

"Is there any way I can skip today? Seriously, I'm totally cool with continuing to learn the basics with Bumblebee." Robbie stated, making his way out from behind the cover, Ironhide crossed his arms, and raised an optic ridge slightly "Yeah, I get it, not happening. One of us gets kidnapped and suddenly basic training is not enough." He huffed under his breath a bit, and made his way over "Alright Ironhide, what do you want me to do?" He questioned "Some sparring?" He questioned.

"No, I understand you're well adept with hand-to-hand according to Bumblebee." Ironhide told him, he stared at him a bit "I was considering seeing what you could do with a few melee weapons. Most hand-to-hand naturals pick up on swords and staffs easily." He smirked, and pointed towards a rack of weapons, which Robbie stared at for a moment "Choose a combat training sword, I'll take one as well, same kind. And we'll see what you can do with it, shall we?" He questioned.

For a moment, Robbie was ready to question if Ironhide was kidding. But as Ironhide activated his holoform, and brought out the dulled training sword, he knew he was serious. Robbie gulped and slowly made his way toward the rack. He grabbed the smallest and lightest of the blades, as he was not physically very strong. It felt heavy in his hands, regardless of how light it looked it was anything but. "Alright Robbie, this is simply training. It feels heavy now, but as we go on, it will become much easier." He noted, Ironhide moved into a battle stance "Alright give me your best shot." He added.

Robbie gulped a bit, he quickly rushed forward and swung downward. Ironhide was quick to parry, nearly knocking him on his ass as their blades collided. Ironhide took a swing at Robbie, who found himself parrying much easier then he thought he would. Ironhide was fast, and with each strike he made, it simply became more powerful and fast. It went on for around fifteen minutes, and by the look on Ironhide's face, he was impressed. He had clearly never expected Robbie to pick up this quickly, however, in the end the outcome was obvious. Robbie's blade was sent flying across the room and Ironhide's an inch from his chest.

"Excellent." Ironhide admitted, he smiled at Robbie a bit "Kid you're quite good with a blade. Surely, you've had experience with blades before?" He questioned.

Robbie nodded a bit, he couldn't lie, he had taken fencing when he was younger. But the blades had been lighter, and it had been years. As such, he was shocked that he was able to keep up with Ironhide, let alone dodge any of his blows up until that point. "I used to fence when I was a lot younger. But beyond that, not a whole lot." Robbie told him, shaking his head "I'm surprised I still had that in me. Especially with swords twice as heavy as the fencing blades." He added.

Aaron watched Robbie slowly, for once, the shoe was on the other foot, he was the jealous one. He had picked up on his first day of training, whereas he had failed to control his powers, miserably at that. He groaned a bit but not loudly enough to be heard, he knew Ironhide wouldn't like the fact that he was acting jealous. But regardless he didn't want to be the odd man out in training. He shook his head a bit, and looked up at Ironhide then at Robbie. "Yeah, it was pretty... Impressive." He told Robbie, trying to be a good sport, key word: trying "That's pretty impressive for a rookie." He added.

Robbie turned his head towards Aaaron, well aware that he was most likely jealous beyond words right now. He frowned a bit mouthing 'Sorry' quietly, he turned his head towards Ironhide. Who then put his hands on his hips a bit, and looked up. Magnus and Bumblebee were both standing in the doorway, likely waiting for their sons to be out of training. Ironhide took a deep breath. "Alright boys, that'll be it for today, I'll see you both bright and early here on Sunday." He noted.

Both teens nodded and made their way towards the 'bots, Robbie and Magnus left right away. But Bumblebee didn't leave with Aaron quite yet, he could feel his son's humiliation all too easily. Bumblebee frowned a bit and turned his head toward Irohide with a smile. "Hey 'Hide, can I borrow the room perhaps?" He questioned, Ironhide turned his head, and nodded, before exiting calmly, obviously aware of what he might have planned "Alright Aaron you want to learn how to use your stingers? 'HIde an only teach you so much." He smiled "Let your old man teach you a thing or two." He added.

"I get it I have to concentrate."

"No, concentration is the last thing you want, actually, son." Aaron stared in surprise at Bumblebee's comment "Our unique ability is one that you need to loose control for. It's like... Think of those Greek Gods who could control the weather you're so into. Sometimes it took rage to bring this out. Sometimes other emotions. It's the same thing with us, we are often at our strongest when emotional. When we let go." He then added "Think of your best memory, it doesn't matter what kind, it just has to be your best. And try again." He noted.

Aaron stared at Bumblebee for a few moments, he thought his Dad was crazy, yet he had the same ability. And thus Aaron began to think on his happier days, when he found out about Bumblebee being his Dad, when Optimus and Bumblebee first told him they loved him respectively. When he first came to Autobot base. The second memory however seemed to take hold in moments, he felt the charge from his fingertips slowly but surely build. With this charge, he carefully, and slowly sent it jetting forward, blasting the dummy off of its hinges, Aaron grinned from ear-to-ear and turned to Bumblebee, who he sowre had never looked so proud before. "Wow you weren't kidding Dad, were you?" Aaron didn't realize what he had just called Bumblebee until the words were already out, but strangely he didn't mind.

Bumblebee seemed to brighten up even more at Aaron finally after all this time calling him the 'D' word, he had waited, far too long to hear those words spoken from his son's lips. "That's m'boy, see if you just keep stuff like that up, you'll get the hang of it in no time at all!" Bumblebee patted his son on the the back lightly, he picked him up gently and smiled upon him with beaming pride "Stick around kiddo, you'll learn a lot more from me." He added, pulling Aaron onto his usual perch of his shoulder.

Perhaps on any other given day, it would have been an awkward moment, but for some reason, he had found himself easily calling Bumblebee Dad. Perhaps it was because he had finally found himself able to consider hims as such, perhaps it wasn't. All Aaron knew was that he finally felt at peace with the entire situation, it had taken him a long time, but he finally felt that semblance of peace he had been looking for, and to be honest, it felt good. "You know, I think I'm going to call you Dad from now on." He stated, and stared at Bumblebee for a moment "As long as that's not still possibly awkward for you?" He questioned.

"Not at all, Aaron, not at all."

...

Man that was a hard chapter to write, I wasn't sure how I wanted it to go! I'd like to thank everyone who's read, reviewed, alerted, and Favorited this so far. All the great feedback has been amazing! :D


	30. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER 30**

Aaron was happier the moment he had learned to better control his abilities and keep them in check. A discharge now and then occurred, he'd have sometimes inhuman strength, but it was getting much easier to control now. Kids at school still gave him strange looks, and it hadn't taken long before they had found out what he was. But he had made a couple of good friends, at the very least, the classes were good, and he had gotten better at ignoring the 'freak' comments. Yet in many ways, he still felt like an outcast. Being the only one of an entire species often made him feel different from the other kids, and he was, so it wasn't unwarranted. But still the feeling of being an outcast lingered far longer then he would have liked it to. Bumblebee didn't like it much either, and nor did Optimus, or most of the other allies. Will had attempted several times to put an end to it, but the amount of prejudice simply continued to grow in number.

It wasn't that Aaron totally minded, he had never really been the most popular guy in NEST or in school. But the word freak seemed to simply sting the more he heard it, he wasn't a freak, even if he could generate electricity it wasn't like he was the most obvious 'cyborg'. He sighed a bit, he and Robbie had been hanging out for the better part of that Friday after school, with Mirage as an escort. Aaron didn't have a Guardian quite yet, but he was not off-base enough to need one, yet, at least. Wheeljack had offered his services to be Aaron's bodyguard, but with him temporarily watching Sam until he found other means of transportation, it would be a few weeks before he could start.

A few dirty looks were given toward him as usual, Aaron was used to it by now. Though he tended to ignore them, Mirage was not the calmest Autobot around. Crouching low, his optics flaring with anger and a harsh glare on his face, he looked toward the glaring humans slowly. "And what exactly are _you_ staring at?" He questioned with a scowl as the men quickly got back to work "That's what I thought." He noted.

"You don't need to intimidate everyone that gives me a dirty look Mirage." Aaron commented, he rubbed his arm a bit "It's really not that big a deal. Some people don't get it, just like Dad and Grandpa said. Getting angry at all of 'em only puts us at their level." Mirage seemed to simply cross his arms at him as the trio continued to make their way down the hallways "I swear, I thought you were going to tear apart that one poor desk clerk." He added.

"Yeah, telling Mirage not to get pissed about this stuff is a battle you will never win, man." Robbie commented, he stared at Aaron, his hands in his pockets "Even if you are right, and we should just ignore them, it is pretty messed up. I mean with some people here you'd swear you grew a second and third head in front of them." He shook his head a bit "Then again, most of the people that glare at you hang out with Galloway. So I guess it makes sense. You're never going to win the 'I'm a normal teenager' battle with that dick." He added.

Aaron nodded in agreement, Galloway had always been a jerk, and that had only doubled now. He had, if he remembered correctly, called him an 'abomination', and actually attempted to scold Bumblebee about daring to do what he did with his Mother. It had taken Optimus's intervening to stop Ironhide, who had been present from turning Galloway into a smoking pile of ash. It surprised Aaron that Optimus had even prevented that, as he had basically insulted both his son and grandson. Though his best guess was he was simply trying not to worsen the relations between Autobots and humans, which were frankly strained as is.

"Yeah, I guess you have a point there. Galloway is and always has been a complete asshole." Aaron commented, he stared at Robbie a bit, shaking his head he took a deep breath "Besides, I don't think I really care what people think." He lied, turning his head away he looked toward the hangar in which both Bumblebee and Magnus were conversing "I have a good family, I'm happy. What does it matter that some jerks think that I'm some sort of mutant freak?" He added.

"No more awkwardness?"

"It's still there, but I've started calling Bee, Dad. And Optimus, Grandpa. So I'm getting much more comfortable." Aaron nodded a bit "I mean, it's still weird, but heck, I have an awesome Dad. Not many people can say their Dad is a Comaro SS, it's all kinds of awesome." He added with honesty, he smirked a bit.

"Yeah, not gonna lie there. The Comaro SS is pretty damn sexy."

Aaron looked at Robbie like he had to be kidding then added, with a light chuckle. "You did _not_ just call my Dad, SEXY." He commented, Robbie's face tuned a bright tomato red at this comment "Sorry man, but I think my Dad's the only person who can call himself that." He added.

Robbie playfully slugged Aaron in the chest and rolled his eyes a bit, he had to admit that there were times where his younger friends mind was too perverted. After all, most teens did think Comaro's were sexy cars, and he certainly WASN'T calling Bumblebee sexy. That was the last thing he'd want to do towards his own cousin. It would have been incest, and disturbing incest at that considering he wasn't human. On top of being a giant robot, there was the factor of that too. "You have such a sick mind sometimes, Aaron." He muttered a bit.

"Why thank you, I try my best." Aaron countered, to which Robbie simply rolled his eyes.

At first Robbie didn't really see how Aaron was possibly Bumblebee's child, but the more time he spent with him, the more it seemed obvious. Magnus always commented on the fact Bumblebee had been very immature at their age range. In fact, there were days that Robbie actually had to still remind himself that Bumblebee was almost twenty-nine in human years, when he acted like a teenager. Aaron sighed, sipping his slurpee a bit. "So what do you think's going on? It looks like an Autobot meeting." Aaron cocked an eyebrow "Grandpa doesn't usually call all of the Autobots together like this." He then turned to Mirage "You know anything about this?" He questioned.

Mirage turned his head toward the procession slowly, most of the Autobots, minus himself and Wheeljack were gathered. Though he couldn't tell what they were saying exactly, he easily caught something about Decepticon formations. He frowned a bit, and looked down at the two of them. "No, they didn't tell me about this. But I think I should be there." He then added "You two can make it to the Rec Room without me, right?" Robbie and Aaron only nodded.

As the two teenagers watched him walk off, Aaron crossed his arms a bit, then turned to Robbie. "Has to be about when Megatron tried to take my blood. Dad and Grandpa have been talking about that a lot." He noted, as he slowly relaxed his arms "Though they know the whole 'army' thing was to freak me out. They know something was up with that." He bit his lip a bit, and turned to Robbie "What do you figure it is?" He questioned.

"You're asking the guy who's the adopted one in the family?" Robbie questioned, he cocked an eyebrow "How the hell am I supposed to know? I'd think you'd know a lot more about this stuff then I would. You were around here since you were seven." He added.

Aaron glared at Robbie a bit, he hated how people assumed just because he was part-Autobot and had been around them for seven years he knew everything. He knew a few words of their language because it was becoming natural for him, as the natural Cybertronian tongue. But other then that, he knew almost nothing about their culture, nor did he know what they had planned most of the time. "I can't tell, even in that amount of time I've only known my heritage for four weeks. I'm still learning Cybertronian, and they're using speech patterns I haven't learned yet." He frowned a bit, and turned his head toward Robbie "I don't know what they're saying. And that might be what they want, I have a feeling they don't want us to know." He admitted.

"Why is that?"

"Because something just doesn't sit right here. First Dad sends Mirage to pick us both up despite us both going to different schools." Aaron then turned toward the hangar again, he watched for several moments "Now they're having some secret meeting even he didn't know abo-."

Aaron was stopped from speaking any further by a hand clamping on his shoulder. Bumblebee stood behind him, his facial features formed into a frown. Clearly, they had been caught eavesdropping, if you could call it that. "You two shouldn't be here." He commented "This is a private meeting, what are you both doing in this hallway?" He questioned.

"Uh..."

Aaron stared at Bumblebee, who didn't look too happy, and there were few times you would see that in Bumlebee. Clearly, this was definitely not something he wanted Aaron hearing about. Perhaps it was frightening, perhaps too dangerous, he couldn't be too sure. He gulped a bit, and looked up at his Father calmly. "Sorry, didn't meant to eavesdrop, we were just curious." He admitted "I didn't understand anything, so you don't have to worry about it." He added quickly.

"Good. As this is not something you should be concerned about." Bumblbebee commented, putting an arm around his son "Come on boys, I need to make sure you both actually go to the Rec Room this time." He nodded his head.

As they began to walk, Aaron glanced over his shoulder only once. Perhaps he was being paranoid, perhaps not, but he didn't like where any of this was going, and he could only hope that Bumblebee was right, and he had nothing to worry about. For now, however, he'd let it go, after all, there were only so many things a person could worry about until they became paranoid.

...

It was that night that Aaron had the nightmare, but rather then the graveyard, it was something far worse. He had stood in the middle of a battle, large, enormous even, the city was one he couldn't be too sure of, but it seemed huge. People were running past him, screaming, some trying to get him to move out of the way. The Autobots and Decepticons fired at each other from all different directions. Robbie was near him, trying to motion him to get moving, he began to run, but as he did, an explosion behind him slowly drew toward him, blasting him forward, and-

He woke up, screaming at that. His body was drenched in sweat and his heart pounded at a thousand miles per hour. He quickly took notice of the strong arms wrapped around him, he turned his head, but rather then Optimus, Bumlebee laid behind him, arms around him. The mech's holoform stared at him with a great deal of concern. "It's alright Aaron, I'm here now." He whispered, stroking his cheek gently "You're safe." He said quietly.

"Thank God... Just a nightmare." Aaron snuggled against his Father's chest slightly.

"What do you mean son?" Bumlebee questioned, he frowned a bit "Was it not your normal nightmare?"

Aaron shook his head but let his eyelids droop a bit, he sighed a little, and yawned. "It's alright though Dad, it was just a nightmare." He told him calmly, and took a deep breath "I'll be okay." He added.

Bumblebee stared at Aaron quietly, but let him fall asleep in his arms. Bumblebee's concern never left him however, something was wrong about this nightmare. He had appeared upon feeling levels of distress he had never truly felt from Aaron before. It was strange, but he wondered if Aaron's nightmare was something more then that. He could only hope not, however, as whatever had caused Aaron's fear had nearly given him a spark attack. Taking a deep breath, Bumblebee laid a kiss on the boy's head, but never disappeared from the room, only whispered to him. "Whatever the case may be, you're safe now." He whispered quietly, in case it had been about his abduction "No one will hurt you again." He added.

Regardless of how wrong he was about what the nightmare had been, Bumblebee was simply happy to be allowed this time with his son. He had never been given this chance before, and he was thankful for moments like these when he got them. Allowing his worry to dissipate for the night, Bumblebee allowed himself to return to stasis, satisfied that Aaron would be safe in his arms the rest of the night.


	31. Chapter 31

**CHAPTER 31**

To say the men were baffled by the disappearing boy would have been an understatement. Jack Barker felt like he was on top of the world, he always _had_ felt that way. Sure he was homeless, sure, he probably got sympathy from people that he didn't want. But the powers made his life just _that _much better. The reddish brown haired, light blue eyed boy appeared out of nowhere, yet again, he grinned like a Cheshire Cat, and chuckled a bit. The owner of the restaurant he had stole from the kitchen of clearly was _not _happy. The seven year old only formed a grin on his features that probably served to make him more angry. Of course, he wasn't actually disappearing, it was only the speed that he could move at that caused him to so easily give the appearance of invisibility. "Sorry dude, too slow, but really, it was a _pleasure _doing business with you." He commented.

He moved too quickly for the man to stop him, being out the door in under a minute. Perhaps it was stealing, and perhaps Jack should have known better, but when you were hungry on the streets, you did what you had to do. Did he have to be as goofy as he was when he did it? Probably not, but then again, he didn't care, no parents to tell him what to do, the fact that some people complained about it astounded him. Sure some days it got lonely, but other then that it was like paradise to the young boy. Even if he wanted to meet his parents, several factors worked against him, he'd never met them, he'd run away from Foster Care and no one at Social Services had been aware of who they were.

The only thing Jack was convinced of was that he wasn't the only one of his kind out there. He was positive of that, he didn't know why he was, perhaps it was just a gut feeling. Or maybe it was the feeling his chest gave off at times, as strange as it may have sounded. He sighed a bit, entering his usual alleyway with his backpack carefully draped over his shoulder. He slipped it off carefully, taking a deep breath, he unzipped the backpack. Bread, bottles of soda, and turkey, it wasn't a lot, but it was definitely better then nothing at all. "I definitely need to start accelerating more." He muttered under his breath.

He took a deep breath, and began to chow down, unaware of the scene he had just caused for others.

...

"He just... Disappeared?"

Optimus Prime never though he'd be doing something like this, but at the moment, it was needed. If what the man who had called up the police over the matter was correct, Aaron may very well have not been the only Techno-Organic after all. Of course, this man had been startled at the information of what he might have just witnessed. Optimus, however, was the most alarmed one in this situation. He now knew exactly why Megatron wanted Aaron's blood, he knew there were _more_ like him. Even if it was only the six year old boy that the man spoke of. If he could find proof of that, and could get one of them long enough, Megatron could artificially create them, and as he had said, build an _army_. Whoever the boy was, they had to find him and fast.

"Yeah, flat out disappeared on me. Though not entirely like going invisible. He moved so... Fast." The man didn't seem to have the right words in his vocabulary to describe this all "It was the strangest thing I've ever witnessed in my entire life." He added.

Optimus's holoform turned to Ironhide's who looked as bewildered as he felt. At first he had thought of Mirage, but his ability certainly didn't work _that _way. If it hadn't been for him being described as having light blue eyes, he might have suggested the boy was the child of Thundrercracker, the teleporting Decepticon Seeker. But with blue eyes, that couldn't be possible, Aaron had blue eyes as well, and other then Frenzy he had never witnessed a blue eyed Decepticon. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Arrison." He commented, as they mad their way toward their alternate forms.

"This is INSANE Prime. Who the slag else slept with a human? I can think of no one." Ironhide stared at his old friend calmly "That's an ability I've never even heard of before. What do you think? Could it be a neutral? Their optics were both colors." Optimus didn't answer him "Prime..." He noted.

"How could I have not seen this coming?" Optimus questioned, he turned his head toward Ironhide "I could have looked into this the moment we knew about Aaron. But I wrote it off as him being the only of his kind. Yet we have nothing to suggest there are not other Autobots who have yet to find their way to NEST." He noted, he looked at him calmly "For all we know, he is the son of none on our base." He added.

It hit Ironhide like a ton of bricks, he turned his head towards Optimus. "Blurr." Optimus stared at Ironhide blankly "Remember how often he was off base? And we _did_ loose him in Kawait just like we lost Aaron's adoptive parents. For all we know, this boy might be Blurr's. The ability sure as pit fits." He added.

"Unlikely, Blurr would have talked of this at some point." Optimus noted "It is very possible the child we are dealing with's abilities were not inherited from his Transformer parent." He added.

Ironhide lifted an eyebrow, though it wasn't totally unreasonable to assume that. Some Transformers inherited abilities from their parents, others developed their own. If none among them had the ability this child had, it could have easily been the offspring of any of them. The question being who had interfaced with a human this time. Both he and Optimus were bonded, and far to faithful to have done so, even in a drunk stupper. That left many options, yet still, after Aaron was discovered, he'd have thought someone would have mentioned any interfacing they had done with humans. "So what, we bring everyone together and ask them about the subject?" He grunted.

"Once we find the boy, it will be as easy as finding who the bond belongs to."

Ironhide nodded a bit, they both disappeared, and began a drive down the street. The boy couldn't have gotten for, he was still young, he likely couldn't run too far. Maybe fast, but not far, it would just be a matter of tracking any unusual signals in the area.

...

There was no stranger sight in the 'homeless district' of Tranquility then two trucks driving by it. It was the one place that Jack frequented other then his alleyway. The one with the custom paint job truly did impress Jack, but the black one seemed more intimidating then anything. He shifted a bit and looked at the couple of teenage friends he had been talking with. "Hey guys, I'm gonna... Go." He commented.

He didn't know what made him nervous about those trucks, but it did. Not a bad nervous, a good nervous, yet being so young, it actually managed to scare him. He would have bolted away, but no one around him knew about his ability. And he'd much rather keep it that way then have them all look at him like a freak. He didn't have much time to escape before he felt a hand on his shoulder gently. He turned his head, Ironhide stared down at him carefully. "Relax kid, we're not going to hurt you." Ironhide stated, he could recognize fear when he saw it "I also should let you know that we'll find you even if you run. And we're the type of people who want to find you. If we have, the kind you don't want to will soon enough as well." He noted.

"Who are you...?"

"I'm a friend. One you can trust." Ironhide smiled, he was unusually good with kids, and thus did his best to seem friendly "Look kid, you're coming with me either way. So why not not make a scene and trust me?" He questioned, he crouched down to stare Jack in the eyes "We're going to take you somewhere far safer then here. Warm, good meals, and a bed, how does that sound?" He questioned.

It went easier then he had expected it to be. He figured it must have been because he felt a connection, most Cybertronian's did to one another. But it must have gone the same for Techno-Organics as well. Either way, the boy relaxed and allowed himself to be led away, this was why he liked kids, it was easy to get them to do what you wanted. Unless they were hyper, he found those kids easily very annoying. "Mission accomplished Prime." Ironhide commented, he turned his head toward Optimus calmly "I'll radio it in." He added.

Once he had settled Jack into his passenger's seat, they were quickly out of the area, just in case they happened to be followed.

...

"Yep, he's a techno-organic all right."

Ratchet stared at Optimus and Ironhide, having finished drawing the blood and energon mixture. He sighed a bit, and stared down at Jack calmly, the boy still seemed as stunned as he had when they had brought him to base and revealed their true selves. The CMO sighed a bit, and stared at Optimus and Ironhide a bit. "I can tell you though that he's not Blurr's. He had a unique green energon, due to the speed-talk disability. If Jackson here was his son, regardless of if he had the same disability, he'd have green energon too." He added.

"Well that isn't exactly helpful." Ironhide crossed his arms, and turned toward Optimus "We can't keep Jack hidden from Galloway, and he's still a sparkling." He noted.

"Perhaps one of the humans might-."

Ratchet held up a finger for a moment, moving the needle into a small device carefully. It was a few moments before a red light began to flash. Ratchet's optics grew wide a bit, his eyes settled, on the last person in the room they had expected. "Congratulations Optimus... You're a Father again." He commented.

There was complete silence in the room, Optimus suddenly felt it, the sensation of a tug. But none of it made sense, he had been ignoring the odd feeling he had up until now. But if Jack was his the question remained, how? He had never once cheated on Elita, he had been completely and utterly faithful to her. The fact that Jack's energon matched his was bewildering, in fact, something seemed wrong about the entire situation. "Are you certain it is my Energon he contains?" Optimus questioned "Ratchet, I have not interfaced with any human. I never would, my spark belongs to Elita." He added.

"I'm fully aware of that Prime, but I've checked the reading four times now. It's clearly your energon flowing through him." Ratchet stared at Optimus, he knew they were both thinking the same exact thing "Prime, someone created this child from your CNA, for what purpose... I don't know. But clearly it is the only reasonable explanation." He stared down at the child carefully, who looked very uncomfortable at the moment "How the slag do we explain this?" He questioned.

Optimus stared down at Jack carefully himself, this boy was a mystery, but it did confirm his worst fears. Someone wanted Aaron and his blood for something, and perhaps, Jack was just one of those reasons. The question was what to do now, regardless of the fact he was created against his own will, Jack was his son. Optimus wouldn't simply write this off and hand him off, yet this did complicate things. "Well then, it seems my family... Got bigger." He said simply, allowing himself a smile as he scooped the small Techno-Organic up, he looked at Ratchet, calmly "I want you to study his blood and energon, find out what you can of what the possible source of this is." He noted.

"I am so confused." Jack bit his lip a bit, he squirmed a bit in Optimus's palm, clearly frightened, yet a certain feeling of safety fell over him.

"So are we youngling, but with any luck, we'll understand soon enough." Ratchet commented, he stared at Optimus "You do realize Galloway and the others need to know. This is not a matter to take lightly. This could be..." He took a deep breath inward "Very dangerous." He added.

Optimus nodded his head somewhat, but began to carry Jack out, hoping to sit down and talk to him. Clearly he couldn't undo what had been done, whatever had been done that is. But he could at least try and see if Jack knew anything about where he came from. Even the smallest memory could have been helpful. Though he was happy to have another child, especially after he had lost Aaron, he couldn't shake off the realization that something was _very_ wrong here. And he had to get down to the bottom of it.

...

Woo, this was a hard chapter to write. I wasn't sure whether to actually have this happen or not. But as it adds some mystery to the plot I figured it wouldn't hurt. :)


	32. Chapter 32

**CHAPTER 32**

"So you do not remember anything before you were the age of three?"

Optimus stared at Jack calmly, the six year old sat beside his holoform, quietly. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk, yet he felt nervous. He was only six years old, and here he was suddenly some huge secret. Robbie and Aaron had been called in, in hopes of making this less awkward for the boy. But even after Aaron had showed his, well, apparent six year old Uncle that he was just like him, Jack still appeared unnerved and scared as ever. Perhaps had Ratchet not spoken of the possibility he was created, it wouldn't have been that way, but of course, what had been done couldn't be taken back. "Jack, was it?" Robbie said carefully, Jack looked up at him calmly "You're with friends now. I'm a totally normal human and they've never hurt me. We only need your help to understand, nothing else." He added.

"They're not like the _other_ ones?"

Now this had Optimus's attention at once, he stared at his son carefully. His worst fears had just been confirmed and his spark sank. Megatron was building an army, and for whatever reason, he had discarded Jack like _trash_. It truly drew rage out of Optimus, though he refused to let it surface, the fact Megatron was doing this, was nothing but wrong. Carefully, he reached an arm around Jack and pulled him gently to his side. "Tell me son, what are the other ones you speak of?" He questioned, looking the child in the eyes "You are very safe around me, whoever they are, they cannot hurt you. I will not let them." He commented.

"Trust me. He won't." Aaron spoke up, trying to help "If there's one thing I know about my Grandpa. It's that whether you've been in his life for one minute or twenty years. If you're family, he won't let anything bad happen to you." He noted.

Optimus smiled at Aaron thankfully, his Grandson was right. The moment Jack had come into his life, no matter how strange the way he came to be was, he knew he was his. Regardless of the four hours he had known him for, he felt the need to protect him. As well as to do what he could to help any other techno-organics that the Decepticons were creating. If it were possible, at least, considering the fact Megatron would toss one of his army out seemed unusual. "I don't remember a lot... Just little bits..." Jack bit his lip "But there were a lot of us there... Not like me though... They uh... They didn't... They didn't even _talk_ it was strange... But I was the only one who did a lot of stuff." he stared up at Optimus "These big red eyed ones, they called me defective... A mistake... I don't..." He looked away "I don't remember much else." He admitted.

Optimus understood full well what this was about, it was obvious. Megatron wouldn't want sentient Techno-Organics, it would be far too much work to raise them. His goal was to make mindless drones, clearly, for whatever reason, Jack had been the exception. For that, he was grateful, because this meant Megatron had not attempted to make more of his children more then likely. The though made him cringe, he could not picture himself having the ability to kill his own children if it came to that. "Were they ALL your age?" Optimus questioned.

"Not they were all big kids and adults. I think I was the only little kid."

"Well then, this... Isn't good Grandpa, what are we going to do?" Aaron had clearly caught on, as had Robbie as they exchanged worried glances "I mean frag, how do we know Megatron doesn't have an entire army by now?" He questioned.

Optimus sighed a bit, as he felt Jack's spark fall a bit, he mentally sent him a message not to worry. Optimus knew he feared that they didn't trust him, but he did. He could hear most of the child's thoughts, he was like anyone his age. Scared, and suddenly thrust in strange surroundings with people he didn't even know. Optimus would be there for him through the transition, however, so he hoped to break the child of his fear sooner rather then later. "We can worry about that later. For now, we have to deal with making the base aware of Jack's presence. If you don't mind Aaron, until we find him a suitable bedroom, he will share with you." He noted.

"Don't mind at all." Aaron smiled a bit, he looked at Jack with an even friendlier one.

"I'm still not sure I should even be here... I'm... I'm..."

Optimus gave Jack a tight, comforting squeeze, and smiled at him genuinely. It must have made Jack feel somewhat better as he managed to smile up at him for the first time. It was comforting for Optimus to know he could do that. As due to his obviously artificial birth, he hadn't been sure if the bond would work the same. "You are my son, Jack, regardless of where you came from. Do not ever think you don't belong here." He said quietly, brushing the hair from the boy's blue eyes calmly "Remember that, my son, you have every bit as much a right to be here as Robbie and Aaron do." He added.

"You realize my Dad is going to blow a gasket, right?" Robbie commented, Optimus turned to him "He's probably going to put me in private school with Aaron."

"It's better we know this now, lest either of you have been possibly attacked." Optimus stated calmly, looking between the two of them "Any decision made here on out, is for your own protection, and I hope you understand that." He noted, his arm still around Jack protectively "But this should not change your lives too much, the biggest change will be that we have a new member to our family." He looked at both of them "I would hope you'll both take the time to show him around. And give him the run through of how things work on-base." He stated.

"Yeah, I can do that, if Aaron's got too much going on anyway." Robbie stared at Aaron, though he still felt like the odd man out, he was happy to help the kid "Unless you do have the time, in which case, we can both handle that tonight?" He questioned.

"I think I'd like alone time with him tonight if neither of you mind." Optimus commented "It can wait until the morning. Since both of you should be in bed."

Aaron looked about ready to protest, but Robbie jabbed him in the ribs lightly. They both left calmly, leaving the newfound Father and Son to some much needed time to get to know one-another. Jack shifted a bit, but Optimus smiled, noting how he was still nervous. He lifted the child into his lap like he used to do with Bumblebee and held him close. "You're afraid I will discard you like they did, aren't you?" He questioned, the boy nodded a bit "There's one difference between myself and them." He told him, quietly "They don't love you, I do Jack. Just as I love any member of my family." He told him, honestly.

"You just met me."

"Yet you are of my own DNA, of my own spark. How could I _not_ love you." Optimus was positive that Jack most likely hadn't had love in his life going by his comments "You're in a loving family now, I assure you. With an Uncle, Brother, Cousin, and Nephew who I can honestly say will protect you as much as I will." He ran a hand through his hair "Is there anything I can get you? I know we got you cleaned, fed, and clothed, but..." His voice trailed off, he had never dealt with a homeless human before after all.

"I'm fine, really. But uh, what do I call you? Optimus? Prime? Dad? Lord Prime?"

"I'd enjoy being called the third choice, I have not been called such in a while." Optimus smiled a bit, he actually cringed a bit at the last one "Call me the other and I will never respond to it. You are my son, I am not your master, I am your Father." He turned the boy's head slightly "I hope you will understand that." He added.

"Alright Dad."

Optimus sighed a bit, letting his thoughts stray as he continued to hold the child in his lap. He was so young, and he wasn't very young himself. A part of him truly wondered if he could handle raising someone so young again. These thoughts were quickly pushed away, however. This boy had been thrown into his life unexpectedly, sure, but he'd never abandon him, just like he'd have never abandoned Bumblebee. It would be difficult, he'd have to put the boy through school, starting with kindergarten given his age, he'd have to protect him from Megatron, and especially from Galloway, who he was certain would be all over this. "So..." Jack leaned his head against Optimus's chest a bit, he looked up at him "Are you sure this is okay? I don't want to... In...In..." He clearly struggled for the word.

Optimus smiled, he knew his answer already, he kissed the top of the boy's head a bit and nodded. "To be honest, your appearance has made me happy Jack. I do hope that you understand that." He then added, with a careful voice "You are not intruding, you are home. And you are not a burden as you seem to believe. You are a gift, one that Primus gave me." He added quietly "I've always wanted another child." He noted.

Jack smiled carefully, this time far more sincerely, allowing Optimus to relax. He had gained the boy's trust, he figured, though to keep it would be a challenge, as would everything else. Regardless however, he was happy to go through it and work for it. The real thing he was worried about was Megatron's plans. The thought of an army of mindless drone-like Techno-Organics was frightening. It went against what he believed, to not harm humans. But he knew he'd have no choice if the time come, _when_ the time came.

He could only hope that another war was not just around the corner.


	33. Chapter 33

**CHAPTER 33**

It took a lot to convince Optimus to send Jack to school. Perhaps it was parental worry at its finest, or perhaps it was the fact of what had happened. After all, Galloway had practically wanted to kill the boy, shouting he had to be a 'spy' if he was made by Decepticons. However, Optimus knew Jack needed to be educated, it simply wasn't an option for one of his children. He had enrolled him in Tranquil Academy, which had a great Pre-K through Fifth Grade program according to Will. Thus he knew his youngest son would be well-protected. Bumblebee had agreed to pick both Jack and Aaron up, even if he had to go pick up Jack earlier. After all, this was his little brother they were talking about, and Optimus was positive his eldest son was elated at the idea of being a big brother.

Of course, exceptions would have to be made when Bumblebee was on missions. In which case, Will had agreed to do the job, as his half of the job at NEST had been rather quiet as of late. Anabelle attended the same school, and being in first grade got out at the same time, so it was no problem. He hadn't agreed to pick him up every day because Bumblebee, being as overprotective as he was, felt the need to. In some odd way, however, he had wished that Galloway's rant about 'corrupting the young' had gone over well. He had only met and brought Jack home three weeks prior and now he was taking his youngest off to _school_ he didn't feel ready to handle that.

It was this way when Bumblebee had been old enough for schooling as well. Even though he knew Aaron was there to protect Jack if need be, he still didn't feel comfortable leaving him at school for a few hours. He didn't know how Jack would socially interact with other kids. If he'd try to show off his speedy abilities, if he'd attract the wrong people's attention. Every worst case scenario played through the Autobot leader's head, and then some. He knew Jack felt his tension as the entire ride to school seemed to be quiet. The boy played around with his new uniform, and stared at Optimus slightly. "Dad, are you okay?" He questioned.

The comment brought the Autobot leader from his thoughts, he turned his head towards Jack slightly. "Yes, I am fine son, I apologize. I do not mean to seem distant." He added, he stared at Jack slightly "It is nothing that should concern you Jack. I am simply being... As you humans would say, 'silly'." He added.

He knew it was a lie, he was being anything _but_ silly right now. For a normal, human parent, perhaps it would have been silly, but not for someone like Optimus. Aaron had been one thing, he would have felt more comfortable as he was fourteen and could protect himself. But Jack was six, not even a _youngling_ yet, he didn't know how to fight, only how to burst his speed for up to a minute. As a defensive ability, it was great, but as an offensive one, it didn't allow him much. He sighed a bit, and pulled up in front of the school, or at least the part of the part where the Preschoolers and Kindergarteners went.

"Do you need me to walk you up?" Optimus questioned, his holoform stared out the window then at Jack "I know you're more mature then most your age. But there is nothing wrong with being walked to your first day." He added, he smiled at Jack's nervous shifting upon asking the question "Most parents do that." He added.

Jack eventually nodded his head, climbing out, Optimus did as well. Optimus made a quick scan around the area, holding up a hand for a moment. Only when the scan was done did Optimus gently take Jack's hand and begin to lead him towards his classroom. Optimus could tell Jack was nervous, he may have been, at times a bit cocky, but Jack was a normally very shy young boy. He sighed a bit, and squeezed his son's hand tightly. "You'll be fine Jackson, it's only for a few hours. Bumblebee will pick you up, and this will be good for you." He noted, he stared at the boy "You need interaction with humans your own age. Something you've been deprived of." He added.

"But I'm more 'mature' then them." Jack bit his lip, looked down then back at Optimus "They're going to think I'm weird." He added.

Optimus took a deep breath, he had expected Jack to be more excited for this, and him be the worried one, not for it to be a mutual feeling. He crouched low, onto one knee to look his son in the eyes, both hands firmly on his sons shoulders. "You'll be fine Jack, here you are not anything more then a six year old boy to all of these kids. You're just like them, just a bit more... Special, if you will." He commented, and nodded a bit "Just don't show off that unique 'gift' of yours, for your own good. If you children have 'P.E.' as they call it, take your speed down a notch." He then patted the side of Jack's arm "And you'll be just fine."

Jack looked at Optimus for a moment, and nodded, finally they came upon his classroom, at which point, Jack let go of his hand. Optimus stared for a moment at him, but understood the reason. Jack wanted to do this alone, he had a lot of himself within him, especially when it came to bravery. They needed to work on his self-confidence, but the boy had a great amount of bravery he had clearly inherited from Optimus. "Have a good day." He commented, kissing the top of Jack's head "You'll do fine." He added.

Jack nodded, entering the class carefully, Optimus watched for a moment, even if the door was closed. He wondered quietly whether or not he was right, but still nodded, and walked off calmly, he was sure he would be just fine.

...

It had been a while since Robbie and Dana had spent some time together. Ever since Alex had moved away to Chicago, Robbie had felt a bit distant, but not on purpose, it was just tough. Alex and Dana were his only human friends, or at least, fully human friends, after all, which made it hard to comprehend Dana was his only one now. Yet Robbie was thankful for Dana being there, she was the only one he knew he could trust with such a major secret who wouldn't look at him oddly anymore. But either way, the two had finally spent lunch together for the first time in Robbie wasn't even sure how long, and it felt good. "Jeez, a whole army?" Dana questioned, they were sitting under a rather large tree in the front of the school "What do you think it means, exactly?" She questioned.

"I really don't even know. Uncle Prime and my Dad are so confused by the entire thing." Robbie shifted a bit, and stared at her "Jack is the only one of them that had, I guess, a soul? It's really strange, and they're not even sure why Megatron would want to do it." He looked away a bit, then shook his head "All I know is that it makes me nervous. If they have Prime's DNA who the hell knows who else they have the DNA of." He added.

"Your worried your Dad might have a kid out there, aren't you?"

Robbie looked away a bit, Dana knew him all too well, that was _exactly_ what he was worried about. If Optimus's child had developed a soul, what if Magnus had a child that had the same thing happen? He knew that Optimus had spoken the truth when he had told him that Magnus would always love him. But for some reason, he was starting to doubt that, he knew Magnus was jealous of Bumblebee and Optimus, he just knew it. "You know Magnus loves you Robbie, he isn't going to discard you if he does find out he has a kid." Dana commented, and stared him in the eyes "Have you told him about this, like at all?" She questioned.

"I've actually... Kinda been avoiding him since we found out about Aaron as much as possible." Robbie admitted, knowing the mech still watched him sleep and tucked him in regardless but still, he sighed "I don't know how to handle it Dana, I can't help but worry that someday, I am going to be replaced." He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes "I'm only human, Aaron and Jack are something way more then that. They're unique, and what the hell am I? A guy that got lucky?" He questioned.

"You should TALK to him Robbie." Dana commented as the bell rang, the two began to stand, collecting their things "Your Dad is probably worried sick if you're not talking to him. Can you imagine what that would be like? He probably thinks that the situation isn't working for you." Robbie looked down, he knew Dana was right, but was too stubborn to say it "Just talk to him, I'm sure everything will be fine." She added.

That's when Dana did the one thing he never expected her too, especially since she was still dating Brock. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek, he knew it was only for comfort and assurance, but he still nearly fell over. Yet he did his best to appear calm about the entire thing, and simply smiled, watching as she walked off, turning her head to smile at him before she headed of to class. Robbie sighed, and took off in the other direction for his own class, knowing she was right, and he hated the fact she always seemed to be.

...

"Dad?"

Magnus was stunned when he heard Robbie's voice, these days it had seemed like he had been avoiding him. Magnus was wholey aware of why, and had allowed Robbie his space to think, but he had begun to grow worried. The fact that his son, according to Optimus, thought that he wouldn't want him anymore now that he knew Techno-Organics existed made him feel horrible. He loved Robbie, there was nothing more to it, and nothing would change that as long as his spark was still beating. "Robbie?" He answered, staring at him on the catwalk.

"Can I talk to you?" Robbie questioned, Magnus didn't need to say anything, he gave him a look that said it all, Robbie sighed a bit, and stared at him "I'm sorry I have been such a jerk the last month, barely talking to you and all." He commented, then took a deep breath "To tell you the truth, this whole thing with Aaron, and now Jack... It threw me off. Especially because well... I know you've always wanted a _real_ kid and now that-." A massive finger stopped him mid sentence.

"Robert, I will stop you right there." Magnus stated, leaning lose to him carefully "I love you, you a_re_ my real son. Perhaps not biologically, but as far as I'm concerned, you are every bit the real son I've longed for." Robbie was a bit stunned as Magnus told him this, he wasn't even sure how to react "Do you honestly believe, even for a minute, that I would have ever taken you from that living pit of a home and into my life if I didn't love you?" He stroked Robbie's cheek, gently "You mean everything to me Robbie, and even if there is a chance one of my children are out there. You will **_always_** be my first child." He noted "And you will always have a place in my family." He added.

Robbie stared at Magnus, unable to find the words to respond with. All this time, he had been so worried, when Magnus hadn't even _once_ looked at him as anything but his son clearly. He had been so worried about all of this when he was just as important to Magnus as any Tehcno-Organic. That much was obvious, at least in his opinion. "I am so sorry, I should have known, I should have..." Magnus stopped Robbie again as the tears began to form, the mech placed a finger under his chin and pushed his head up.

"No Robbie, I am the one who is sorry, I should have told you. The moment we knew about Aaron I should have made this clear." Magnus told his son quietly, he smiled at him fondly, his optics filled with remorse "Yes, it would be nice to have a child of my own Energon. But it doesn't matter to me Robbie, the moment I found you that day, when you were almost kidnapped by that Decepticon. I knew our paths were _meant_ to cross. You were a **_GIFT_** from Primus. An answer to a prayer I had long since given up hope on." Energon streaked down his optic like a tear, at which point, Magnus pushed it away "I never thought I'd ever be given the chance to be a Father. But I do believe both your God and Primus gave you to me, set you in my path, so that I might be." He added.

Robbie felt his cheeks go red, Magnus truly made him feel very special at that moment. "I never realized how much I meant to you." He whispered.

"Well, now you do." Magnus told Robbie quietly and smiled at him carefully, taking a deep breath "Promise me, you will never forget that son." He added.

"I won't."

And for the first time in the entire time he had been on the base, in Magnus's care, Robbie truly felt like this was where he belonged. Even if he wasn't a Techno-Organic, he still belonged here, and perhaps, Magnus had been the answer to a long-forgotten prayer of his too. One that he now remembered, but had come to forget. That of a family that would never leave him, or die, or go away. A loving family that would last forever, and that he'd never be separated from. Now, more then ever, he was positive he had just that.


	34. Chapter 34

For those wondering what happened to my other story, 'Broken Soul'. I am sad to inform you that I just couldn't complete it. My muse for it totally died and no matter how much I tried to think of what to do with it, I couldn't. I thought it was better to just delete it rather then keep people constantly waiting. :( Sorry guys.

There's just one more HUMAN character in this I'd like to introduce. Who has a rather interesting connection to one: Dylan Gould of Dark of the Moon. And whose Dad will play a rather big role in this. :P

...

**CHAPTER 34**

Benjamin Turner loathed being a fifteen year old with a job more then anything. Perhaps he wouldn't have loathed it as much if he was say, paid once in a while. Yet of course, his so-called employers didn't exactly give half a monkey's ass to pay what they considered a child. He couldn't barely remember the names of the group he even worked for half the time as-is, the Decepticons, he had gathered, something to that effect. Probably the dumbest name Ben ever heard, but his Dad was happy, and since he was only happy on rare occasion, he tended to just live with the unpaid job of spying on some kid at his High School. It was the only reason he guessed he was even _in_ High School right now with his IQ. At least his Dad got paid, right? Or at least, that would have been the mindset if he didn't blow half the cash off on cigars and booze, sometimes pot would get thrown in the mix, heaven forbid.

Yet, to the world, Ryan Turner, besides his cousin Dylan Gould, was perhaps the greatest car collector in the world. In front of the camera's, family man, struggling single Father, a charitable man. Behind the scenes, completely abusive, uncaring, hell, chalk it up to _unfeeling_, cold, sadistic, bastard. And that was just Ben's thoughts on him himself, if you might have asked his late Mother, she would have used words that would have made a sailor blush. With half the shady deals his Dad made, especially with these Decepticons, Ben often had to wonder if he could call his Dad a terrorist oftentimes as well. If one were to question if he exaggerated, they'd simply have to look at his childhood.

_"Dad, can we play catch?"_

_"CATCH? You're a fucking genius Benjamin, go and do something USEFUL with that brain of yours that doesn't involve a silly game!"_

Words like that from his Father often stuck out in Ben's memory far more then he would have liked. Or perhaps, they could have just looked at his current situation. Standing out in the middle of _pouring_ rain for his Dad to pick him up, for the tenth time that month. Or was it the eleventh? Ben had honestly lost track of his Father's blatant shortcomings and attempted to just move on. Taking a deep breath, pulling the jacket over his body a bit and making his way away from the school, Ben did his best to keep his head down.

Perhaps on any other day Ironhide wouldn't have taken any notice to Ben. But the sight of a young man, while on his rounds near Robbie's school, having stood for close to two hours before walking alone in a storm was unusual. Ironhide didn't know a whole lot about humans, that much he'd admit, but even he knew that most parents would be at the school to pick up a child in this terrible of weather. Being Ben had been the last one out, Ironhide could only guess that he had been wrong, but regardless, he wasn't going to leave a child out in this weather. Sighing a bit, he activated his holoform, driving up beside him and opening his passengers seat. Ben just stared at him for a moment. "Well don't just stand there kid." Ironhide grunted "Do you want a ride, or to walk in the rain?" He questioned.

Ben stared around, seeing if his Dad was anywhere to be found, but saw no one. For a moment he considered the dangers of accepting a ride with a complete stranger, yet what exactly did he have to loose? "Thanks." He smiled a bit, scrambling into the passengers seat and letting the warmth overtake him "Fucking freezing out there, and with the rain. Man, worst weather we've had all year." He added.

"Tell me about it, I hate the rain." Ironhide noted, he waited for Ben to settle his stuff on the ground buckle up and close the door before driving "So where am I taking ye kid? Home? Somewhere else? I need an address." He noted.

"2990 Jasper Avenue. It's the big house about twelve miles from here. Just keep going straight, can't miss it."

Ironhide eyed his young passenger in obvious surprise, the kid had planned to walk _twelve_ miles? Where were this boy's parents? He fought back a growl at the thought, if there was one thing Ironhide couldn't stand it was the thought of what some human parents were like with their kids. Yet he let it go, it wasn't his business nor place to think ill of anyone's parents. He and Chromia had had no sparklings prior to her death in Egypt, so he himself didn't know how difficult it could be. "Your parents don't even bother to pick you up then?" Ironhide questioned, he stared at the boy "Who the slag makes their kid-." He stopped himself quickly.

"Slag?"

"Nothing, just forget it." Ironhide kept his holoform's eyes on the road, careful not to give himself away "It's not my place to talk about anyone's parental skills. I haven't had any, and I don't necessarily plan to considering my... Wife. Passed on last year." He noted, being honest.

"I'm so sorry." Ben commented, he shifted a bit "I guess it's not a big a deal to think 'ill' as you said. My Mom died about five years ago. And my Dad." Ironhide took notice of the hesitation in his voice "Well, let's just leave it at the fact that he isn't the best one int he world." He admitted, he shrugged his shoulders a bit, then stared at Ironhide quietly "Where are my manners, I'm Ben Turner." He held out a hand.

Ironhide stared for a moment, but carefully took the teenager's hand and shook it, he smiled a bit. "Ian Hide." Ironhide commented, using his alias, as they stopped at a light he leaned back a bit "You know, you shouldn't be scared to admit it. My Dad wasn't the best either... He was just never there." He thought back to his male creator quietly, shaking his head "You could say that he never wanted children, so he just left." He added.

"I wish mine would." Ben muttered, then turned to Ironhide a bit "Good to know that I'm not totally alone though. I guess it's a given." He chuckled a bit, shaking his head as they continued on "It's not-." He pointed his finger before he could finish "That's my stop." He pointed toward a large, three story home, white colored, big enough to almost rival the White House.

Ironhide carefully pulled up to the curb, allowing Ben to unbuckle his seatbelt. Something about the house seemed off to Ironhide, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was strange, as he had gotten no strange vibes from Ben, but from his house, he felt as though something was very off. Ben turned his head toward Ironhide. "So... Thanks for the ride." He commented.

"I'm usually in the area around the same time every day. If you ever need another one, keep an eye out."

Ben stared at Ironhide in surprise, but nodded before climbing out, taking his stuff with him. Ironhide watched the boy jog off from his alternate mode, disappearing through the front door. He wouldn't have offered Ben that if he didn't get a very bad feeling about the home. He needed to keep an eye out on this one, because normally he had the best senses of any of the Autobots, when he knew something was off, and he did mean _off_ he was normally correct. Starting up his engine again, he drove off down the road calmly, he'd let Optimus know right away, but he had to make sure no suspicion was caused.

...

The moment Ben noticed how quiet it was in the home, he knew he was in trouble. His Dad was not a quiet man, you could hear him in the next county when he talked, so clearly, he was angry whenever he managed to be quiet. His dark brown eyes scanned the hallway, but he found nothing to indicate his Dad was even home. No such luck, as the dirty blond haired, muscular, large, and lean man stepped out of the nearest room. "And where the _fuck_ have you been?" Ryan growled a bit, Ben turned away "Hey you little brat, I'm talking to you." He added.

"You forgot to pick me up again Dad."

"Aren't you driving yet?" The man pulled the cigar from his mouth and took a puff "Oh that's right you were Sandra's kid, you're only what? Thirteen...? No fifteen, that's right." He spat out a bit to the right "Well shit, could you hurry up and turn sixteen already? I'm tired of driving to and from that school every fucking day. I'm a busy man, Nicholas, a very busy man." He noted.

Ben turned his head a bit, now he had forgotten his name too, that figured. It always seemed as though he was forgetting something, to pick him up, every day of the week, despite his complaints otherwise. His name and age were something he'd just have to put right up there with the rest of them. Pushing his dirty blond hair away a bit, he stared at Ryan slightly and gulped. "Sorry sir, but I won't be sixteen until next year. Remember? Birthday's in January, it's only March." Ryan stared at him in a 'you think I care?' way "I'm sorry." He closed his eyes a bit.

As expected, Ryan shoved Ben against a wall, getting very close and glaring into his eyes. "Do not smart mouth me boy. I gave you this home, I can sure as hell take it away like that. I hear the Foster System here is WONDERFUL." He lied a bit, Ben knew he had enough connections in the city to easily make his life in the system a living hell "Now get dressed into something nice, we're having guests this evening. Megatron wants a report on the Magnus boy." He commented.

"Doesn't he always?" Ben bit his lip "Dad I'm-."

"What? Getting tired of keeping up YOUR half of the weight in this house? You think just because I'm rich, I'm going to pay for anything?" He gripped Ben's jaw hard, and shook his head a bit "No, you're going to give your fucking report, or I'm going to kill you just like the slut you called your Mother." The dark seriousness in Ryan's voice was obvious, and his words as thick as venom "Now move your fucking ass and get dressed nicely. I won't have my son looking like a street urchin for my guests!" He bellowed.

Ben breathed in deeply as his Father gripped his shoulder and shoved him toward the staircase. He quickly made his way upstairs to get changed, not that he had much of a choice, when this 'Megatron' came around, it was always proper dress attired and best behavior. Even if he was probably one of the coldest men he had ever met. He just had to hope that this time, he wouldn't screw up, lest he get as much of a thrashing as he had the week before._  
><em>


	35. Chapter 35

**CHAPTER 35**

If Benjamin even began to use the 'I fell' excuse this time, Ironhide was going to scream. It had worked when Ben had shown up with a minor bruise here and there, even a cut or two. But unless he fell off of his roof, there was no way Ben had fallen this time. He had taken to picking the boy up and dropping him off at home as a regular thing as the days went by, even enjoyed the chats they'd have. But that day, there would be no enjoying himself, he could already feel rage building in him. Ben stepped out of the school looking like a mangled mess, his left eye was a nasty shade of purple, a clear black eye, his lower lip was split open, and his cheek was gashed, dried blood around it.

Ironhide tried to contain his temper, noting that Ben's scars were not new, they seemed to be at least a day old. Someone had done this to him the night before, that he was certain of. As Ben opened the door and climbed inside, doing his normal routine, Ironhide locked all four doors. "**WHO HURT YOU**?" The words were spoken with such rage that surprised Ironhide himself "What little punk do I need to introduce to my weapons collection?" He added, having guessed it to be some muggers even a school bully he had run into the night before perhaps.

"No one Ian, I fell."

"Fell? FELL? From where, the third story of your HOME?" Ironhide bellowed, he gently moved his hand along his young friends face "Kid, whoever did this needs to be punished. You look like you've just been through a dang war." He attempted his best not to use any form of Cybertronian dialect "I'll only ask you one more time Benjamin, or I swear I'll take you to the hospital and they can get it out of you." He noted, he would have more then likely dragged him to Ratchet who could find DNA samples off of him from whoever hurt him.

As Ironhide moved his hand yet again, Ben cringed back, only then did Ironhide realize something. He had only moved to touch him comfortingly, yet he had been _afraid_ of him. Ben was sobbing, backing up a bit. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I swear I don't-!"

"Easy Ben, easy, I'm not going to hurt you." Ironhide knew exactly what was going on now, he had seen this before, on Cybertron no less "You're abused." Ben turned his head away from Ironhide as if to avoid looking him in the eyes "Ben why didn't you ever tell me? I know many families who I could have taken you to for PROTECTION if you had." He commented, still a bit stunned by all of this, mentally he knew he had to get him to Will and his family for the moment "Do you need _anything_? Because as soon as I get you out of here, I'm going to have a few words with your Father." His voice was a low growl by this point.

"Ian, you CAN'T."

"I can and I will, and I am." Ironhide began making his way down the road, he turned his head to Ben slowly "If you're fearing for my safety, Ben, you have no reason to. I have an advantage over him you have yet to see. If he even TRIES a thing, he's going to loose the ability to reproduce." He snarled a bit, and turned to Ben again.

Even if he didn't know Ben that well, and he didn't he wouldn't leave him there. Though he never spoke of it to anyone, his Father had not initially left. The scar that had forever damaged his left optic had been given to him by his Father creator in a fit of rage. He could never truly see perfectly in that eye, and it was all his fault. It was the one reason he could never stand abusers, he had been through the fury of one as a child, and he would not watch Ben go through the same. "There's a picture, on my nightstand, of my Mom and I..." Ironhide turned his head towards Ben, who clearly knew there was no changing his mind "Please, at least promise me you'll get that for me. It's all I have left of her." He admitted.

"I promise you Ben, I'll grab that and your clothes." Ironhide could see Ben was crying, obviously, he was terrified "It's alright, you have no reason to be _scared_ if anything. Your Father should be scared that I'm coming." He took a deep breath inward "I know this great family Ben, very close friends of mine. They'll be able to take care of you until I get back." He smiled a bit, and looked at him "You can be certain that you will be in the safest hands possible. The Father is an Army Major, even if he does by some miracle, for him, find them. He will without a doubt tear him apart." He told him flatly.

Ben could barely comprehend that no more then five minutes later, their surroundings had completely changed. They were on what appeared to be a Military Base, the housing area. Ironhide was thankful Will had a day off that day, as he knew Ben would be in safe, capable hands. He stopped in front of Will's home, he motioned for Ben to get out, and they both did so. He gently put an arm around him, and they made their way to the front door, Ironhide knocked, and Will stepped out calmly. "Holy-." Will had clearly seen Ben right away "Ironhide what happened?" He questioned.

"Abuse victim, you know that Ben boy I told you about?" Will's eyes widened at Ironhide's comment, Ironhide gently put his hands on Ben's shoulders "Relax Ben, Will's a good man, he will not hurt you." He looked at Will "I'm going to get his things from his home. Can you keep an eye on him?" He questioned.

"Of course." Will stated calmly, motioning in "Come on Ben, let's get... You checked out."

The moment Ben slowly followed Will inside, Ironhide disappeared and tore down the street toward the Space Bridge. He was ready to have a nice little talk with Ben's Father, and by talk, he did indeed mean, break as many bones as possible.

...

Ryan did not know what the man was doing at his door, but it didn't matter much. Ironhide wasn't even slow to the point, he threw a hard, fast, punch against his nose, knocking the man back onto a table. Ryan's nose was covered in blood, clearly broken, Ironhide gripped him by the collar of his shirt, and took several deep breaths. "What the hell man! What, do I owe you money!" He shouted.

"No, but you did screw with my fragging friend you scumbag." Ironhide growled lowly, he pulled him up and threw Ryan against the wall, violently "You like making children suffer, do you? Tell me, Mr. Turner, how does it feel to be on the receiving end of it!" He punched Ryan hard in the gut, allowing him to collapse, he stared down coldly at him "Where did you keep your son, Mr. Turner? He won't be coming back home, so I suggest you tell me now or I'll do _worse_ to you." He commented, fully ready to transform and get it out of him that way.

Ryan knew exactly what was happening, no one human had that kind of strength. Having worked with Decepticons for so long, he knew all too well that this had to be one of their enemies, an Autobot. But considering he had none of the Decepticons around, there was nothing he could do. He had to do what he asked of him. Slowly, he stood to his feet, groaning a bit. "U-Upstairs, third room on your left." He took a few deep breaths "No matter where you have him though, I'll find him, you have no idea who you're dealing with." He commented.

"If you dare go anywhere NEAR him again, I can promise you this. It will be the last mistake you EVER make." Ironhide growled, trying to contain his anger at this point, he took several deep breaths "He is somewhere I can promise you, you will never find. Not without meting the end of gunfire." He got so close to Ryan that he could feel his heart practically beating out of his chest "Do you UNDERSTAND me?" He questioned, Ryan nodded, trembling all over his body.

Ironhide threw him against the wall, this time, knocking him out cold. Making his way up the stairs, he entered the room he had been told to go in calmly. He found a box nearby, and grabbed as many changes of clothing as he could. Quickly, he grabbed the picture Ben had begged him to grab, and looked around. He quickly found a few other things he would probably need. He grabbed his laptop and its charger, his cell phone charger, and his cell phone. Just enough to be sure that Ben would be comfortable in the Lennox home until they could get Ryan, hopefully, arrested and then of course, get the rest of his things.

He made his way down the stairs, and stared at Ryan, who was trembling in shock. Ironhide smirked, glad the man was scared out of his mind, he lunged with a growl at him briefly, causing Ryan to go bolting down the hallway. He didn't care if he called the cops, they would be _certain_ that the cops knew immediately what he had done to his son for Primus knew _how_ long. "Have a good day Mr. Turner, I hope you enjoy the rest of your MISERABLE, pathetic little life." He noted.

Ironhide contemplated what he would do with Ben, perhaps the Lennox's would take a liking to him, and adopt him themselves. But he didn't know, they had Annabelle to worry about, and adding a teenage boy into the mix may be difficult. With any luck however, they would take the chance and take the boy in, he could think of no better group of people to help the boy recover from the hell he had gone through. He didn't even notice as, not far away, Ryan removed a cell phone from his pocket, and typed a number, calling it, and holding it to his ear. "Megatron? We may have a little bit of a problem." He growled.

The last thing Ryan needed was Megatron killing him if Ben went and spilled the beans about him working with the Decepticons. The second they found out he knew he was likely dead, or in serious trouble, he couldn't be sure which yet. He took a deep breath, and listened to what Megatron had to say, and could only hope he knew exactly what to do.


	36. Chapter 36

**CHAPTER 36**

When Ironhide returned to the Lennox Home, Ben was lying against the couch, cleaned up as best at they could manage. Ben looked clearly unnerved, Sarah and Will were talking in the kitchen, he guessed about what to do now. Clearly, Ben would be staying until they found a suitable caretaker and this was a matter that did have to be discussed. Ironhide stared at Will for a moment, as if waiting to know if Ben staying was for sure, he simply got a nod. He sighed in relief and carried the things up to the Guest Bedroom, he knew he could count on the Lennox's, yet, he had still felt nervous about throwing Ben on them.

It wasn't that Ironhide wasn't seriously considering taking Ben in, he was. But he needed time to think all of this over. He had only just lost Chromia a year ago, Ben didn't even know he was an Autobot yet, and he didn't know the kid all that well. Heck, a bond hadn't even kicked in quite yet. Ironhide knew that for him, at least, the thought of taking in a human child was something he'd have to think over for quite some time before coming to a decision on. For now, he'd be a friend, which is what he knew the boy needed, just like he had needed one after his time of abuse had been found out by Cybertronian officials. "Hey..." He stated, taking a seat on the couch next to Ben "How are you feeling?" He questioned.

"Better then I was, I guess." Ben muttered.

Ironhide took a deep breath, he knew how this was. When his Father had been imprisoned, he had felt the same way. He had felt like in some odd way he had betrayed the mech, even though he owed him nothing. They both owed their Father's nothing, except maybe a good kick in the groin. He was only happy that he had found out as soon as he had, lest he found out when Ben was in even worse condition. Though something still didn't sit right with him, even now that what he guessed had been the route of his thoughts on the home was handled. He still felt as though he was missing something.

"Sarah's brother has some connections with the police in Tranquility. He's going to see to it the pictures we took get to him." Will interrupted his thoughts a bit, and stared between the two of them "We've been in the Foster Care Program for close to two months now. We weren't expecting to take anyone this early, but it's better then risking your Dad coming after you." He handed Ben an ice pack, clearly for his eye "So you'll be staying with us, at least unless someone steps up to adopt you." He commented, then looked at Ironhide, as if wondering if he'd object, when he said nothing, Will took a deep breath "Point is, you're safe now, just relax. You don't want to move with the damage to your back." He commented.

Ironhide visibly shook with anger at the mention of even _more_ damage that he hadn't seen. He took a deep breath however, and gently moved Ben up, pushing his shirt up slowly. Welts, bruises, and scars lined it, practically covered it to the point that if Ironhide could have purged in his holoform, he would have. "Primus almighty." He breathed, turning his eyes away as he lowered the shirt once more "Frag this, I'm going back and killing that fragging-." He began to stand but Will quickly grabbed his arm.

"Relax Ironhide, Ben's safe, you got him out of there. Going back and doing any more damage then I'm sure you already caused is a lawsuit waiting to happen." Will commented, though he looked just as angry as Ironhide felt.

"Ironhide?"

Ironhide turned his head toward Ben, knowing he'd have to know now. He'd realize something was up when he noticed his alt mode constantly parked in the Lennox's driveway. He took a deep breath, and stared Ben in the eyes, smiling. "I'm not exactly human Ben, you'll learn soon enough. But I'm an Autobot." Ben's eyes widened in surprise at Ironhide telling him this, the mech shook his head a bit "Told you I had a major advantage over your... That..." He couldn't even bring himself to call Ryan a human title "IT." He settled for, he took a deep breath and looked down on him "I do hope you'll forgive me for lying. I did it to protect you from my enemies, the Decepticons." Ben looked at him like he'd been punched in the gut "What is it?" He questioned.

"The Decepticons, are your enemies?" Ben looked at him with wide eyes "My Dad works for a group called the Decepticons."

Ironhide and Will stared at each other in surprise, Ben had not just said what they thought they had. The Decepticons had been working with a _human_? Could this have been how the Techno Organics were being made? Was his Father supplying them with the means? Both had their own thoughts on the subject, Will stood, and grabbed his jacket before quickly exiting the home, headed as quickly as he could towards the main base. Clearly this was a revelation the other needed to be informed of, at once. "Alright Benjamin, elaborate, what do you know abut the Decepticons?" He questioned.

Ben began to explain it all to Ironhide for close to an hour. He told Ironhide about how Megatron had been by their home close to forty times in the last several years, and how his Father was supplying him with something, though he didn't know what. He told him how Ryan had given him jobs to do whenever Megatron was over, and how both men had treated him like a slave more then a human being. He told him how he'd been forced since he entered High School that year to spy on Robbie by Megatron, and how both he and Ryan had threatened to kill him if he didn't do it.

When Ironhide had heard it all, he slumped back, the rage in his spark was building to lengths he'd never experienced. Ben was just a boy, barely a Freshman in High School, and the Decepticons, as well as his Father had done such a horrible thing to him. If he had known the situation he had been in, he would have gotten Ben out of their sooner. If he had known, they could have avoided Megatron learning things about Robbie, and using a mere child as a slave. For the first time in his life, and it had been a long one, Ironhide felt guilty for something he knew was out of his control. "And you NEVER saw what he was providing Megatron with?" Ben shook his head at Ironhide a bit "The fact he'd use a child to spy on one of our own doesn't surprise me." He growled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know, I-."

"Hey, don't blame yourself, you were being threatened and viciously abused." Ironhide stated, trying to contain his anger as to not make him think he was angry at him "Just relax kid, you're safe now, you're on a base of Autobots. And your Foster Family is sure as Primus going to protect you." He could only imagine what Will would do if Ryan ever came around "We won't judge based on what you did against your will." He added.

Ben turned his head a bit, he didn't know how to take any of this. Now that he knew that the Decepticons were Ironhide's enemies, he didn't fully feel safe. Surely they'd want him dead for telling them all of this. He rubbed his bruise lined arm carefully, he knew he might have just been a worry-wart, but he was _scared_. Ryan would be furious, and he knew he hadn't seen the last of his Father, no amount of reassurance could convince him otherwise. He felt Ironhide reach forward, and run a hand along his cheek carefully. "I know how you feel, Benjamin. I've been in such a situation before." He motioned toward his bad eye, which even showed in his holoform "In truth, my creator did not leave. He is the reason I have blurred vision in my left optic." He stated calmly "And it is for that reason that I promise you, as long as you're here, he will not hurt you." He added.

Ben cringed a bit as Ironhide felt his black eye, but was thankful for his presence. There was some semblance of a safe feeling around Ironhide, like he could protect him better then anyone else. Taking a deep breath, he laid his head against Ironhide's chest, allowing Ironhide to pull him into his arms. Ironhide wouldn't have done so if anyone else was around, but being they were alone, he'd gladly show his softer side. "It'll be alright Ben." He said quietly, gently rubbing his side in comfort "You're in safe, capable hands, and on a fully guarded base. anyone who'd dare go after you here has a death wish." He noted.

"Thank you."

Ironhide watched as Ben broke down into tears, allowing him to sob into his chest. He knew the boy needed it, and he wasn't leaving. Even with his true form already gone, his holoform wouldn't leave until the boy felt safe.

...

Ironhide had been uncertain of how human Galloway had been until that day. The man had vomited at the sight of the pictures of what had been done to Ben. They wouldn't have even showed them to him if he didn't insist they were making a mistake by allowing a boy whose Father was connected to the Decepticons on base. But as a man who had only a few days been ready to dissect a Techno Organic, the pictures almost seemed to make the man begin to re-think his life. If only a little. "A human being did that and you're all questioning what he's doing with DECEPTICONS?" Galloway questioned, staring between Optimus, Magnus, Ironhide, and Will "Clearly this man is just as fucked up as they are." He noted.

"I already gave him a good thrashing for what had been done to Benjamin. Now that I know just how sick he is, I almost wish I had killed the man myself." Ironhide crossed his arms and stared at Optimus, who seemed completely unnerved "It's all too possible that this man has worked for them for years Prime. Providing them with female eggs in order to create this army of theirs. Who the frag knows where he's getting them. But it all makes sense." He noted, Optimus seemed to nod in agreement "The fact he'd use Ben to spy only makes this worse. How do we know he's the only one being forced to do so?" He questioned.

"Ironhide's right, he's using the black market here on Earth, most likely." Magnus nodded, and stared at the others calmly "The humans he's simply using as long as they're useful. Probably using more kids to spy on Aaron, and Primus forbid, on Jack." Optimus seemed to tense himself at the comment "We need to take immediate action here Prime, we can't keep ignoring this. The more we do, the closer he gets to making that ARMY a reality." He noted.

Optimus looked thoughtful for a few moments, and slowly nodded his head in agreement. "I think it's about time, we got to the bottom of all of this." He turned his head toward Ironhide, who smirked as if knowing what came next "Will you lead the way to the home or Ryan Turner?" He questioned.

Ironhide let one cannon lift from his arm, it twisted, and loaded itself easily. "With _pleasure_." He answered.


	37. Chapter 37

Wow, 100 reviews, that's so awesome! So happy to see you guys like this fic.

We'll be returning to Robbie, Aaron, and Jack in two more chapters. But obviously Ben's large role the last few chapters were needed. :)

...

**CHAPTER 37**

When Ironhide left, Ben felt a bit like a fish out of water. He didn't know these people, even if they were supposed to be his Foster Parents. Ben sighed a bit, he ran his hand along his bruised arm a bit. He only looked up as a set of footsteps entered the room, he stared up at Will, who had a grilled cheese held firmly on a plate. "Hey." Will smiled gently, trying to seem at the very least, friendly "I know 'Hide kinda left out of nowhere. But... I hope you don't mind some different company." He sat himself down in a chair "Hungry?" He questioned.

"Starved."

Will smiled and set the plate down in front of Ben, he smiled a bit as the boy began to eat. He was a well-behaved kid if anything. He and Sarah had talked to him briefly, and he was nice, polite, and probably the opposite of what his Father had been like. In truth, Will was quite sympathetic toward the boy, who most likely had had a very miserable life. He took a deep breath, and smiled gently. "I hope you don't mind it. We'll need to learn what you can and can't eat before too long." He commented, and stared at Ben, who nodded "You know, I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm the last person to do anything like that." He added.

"I know, Ironhide told me and he's usually a good judge of character." Ben sighed a bit, and stared down at the ground "I just... I'm a little nervous. I don't want you guys to be in any danger. I mean, isn't that what this is doing with the whole Decepticons thing?" He questioned, and stared at Will warily "I don't want to see anyone get hurt because I went and blabbed this all to you." He added.

Will frowned, he may not have known Ben more then a few hours but that wasn't happening. Anyone who had been under abuse was someone Will would protect, no matter how long he knew them. He had never been abused, but he knew it was only right to protect those in need. It was, in some ways, a part of his job description to begin with. Taking a deep breath, he stared at Ben. "Hey, don't you worry about your Dad, alright? I'm an Army Major, I can break bones he doesn't even know he has." He commented, trying to at least make him feel a bit better "Not to mention what Ironhide would probably do to him. Between the two of us... Well..." He went quiet, noting the sadness in Ben's eyes "Everything okay?" He questioned.

"Yeah, I'm just... It's nothing, it's silly." Ben finished the sandwhich calmly, and stared at Will, putting on the best smile he could manage "Thank you, for opening your home to me and all. I really appreciate it."

Inside however, something seemed strange about all of this. His reasoning being even stranger, it didn't really feel like home. It wasn't that his other one had, but it was almost as though being with Ironhide felt more like having a 'home' then both of these homes. Will and Sarah seemed nice, and he had yet to meet Annabelle, who was spending the night at a friends house. But the name Benjamin Lennox didn't feel entirely right to him. In a way, he could tell Will probably new that was his feelings about all of this, but he didn't want to say it out loud. Considering these people had taken him in, and Ironhide hadn't, it would have been rude.

"Don't mention it, kid." Will replied, then stood up slowly "I need to go do some things. But hollar if you need anything."

Ben only nodded in response, allowing Will to leave. He sighed a bit, turning onto his back, he stared up at the ceiling and letting his thoughts stray. He considered for a moment, why Ironhide made him feel more safe, and felt more like a Father then Will did. Will was his species, so was Sarah, and so was Annabelle as far as he knew. Meanwhile, Ironhide was an Autobot, a completely different species he had never known much about. Not to mention who even knew if Ironhide looked at him the same way. Turning over onto his side a bit, he closed his eyes, perhaps a long nap would help clear his mind.

...

Ironhide was endlessly frustrated right now, Ryan had left, wiping most of his hard drives as well. Meaning not only did he not get to rip him apart limb by limb, but they were still no closer to figuring out what he was trading the Decepticons. What he did leave behind, he had the buyers and sellers of whatever illegal products he was manufacturing under serial numbers, and while they would figure it out eventually, it would be a long time before the could. Perhaps it was silly, but he was also very nervous that his disappearance meant he could easily go after Ben again. He didn't know why he cared so much, it was just a human boy he had helped, nothing more, but he did. He cared about Ben being safe and secure and the fact he couldn't be sure truly bothered him.

"Ironhide." Optimus set a hand upon his friend's shoulder, they had been back for nearly an hour, and were currently in the hangar "You seem tense, old friend, what worries you?" He questioned.

Ironhide turned his head, surprised Optimus was still there. He had told him he was leaving to tuck Jack in not long ago, or at least, he thought it hadn't been long ago. He took a deep breath, and turned his head a bit. he knew Optimus wasn't going to laugh or mock him, yet it still felt strange. "I'm not sure even I know Optimus. It's Ben... The fact his Father has disappeared. It worries me. I'm worried that he'll be back now..." He took a deep, inward breath "And Primus knows I rarely worry, Prime. I don't know why the slag I'm starting now." Optimus smiled a bit "What? What's so funny?" He questioned.

"Have you ever considered you love the boy?" Optimus questioned, Ironhide seemed taken aback "Ironhide, you've given him rides to and from school for nearly a month now. You attacked his Father for hurting him." He turned to Ironhide who seemed to be taken aback "This boy reminds you a great deal of yourself. I know that. Perhaps it is that reason you worry, you've come to care about and love him." He pointed at his old friends chest slightly "You don't need a bond to know that. I loved Aaron like my own flesh and energon long before I even knew he was my Grandson. Long before his parents died even." He added.

Ironhide looked at Optimus in surprise, was that what was happening to him? Love? That was hard to believe for him, he had cared about many children in the past. Annabelle and Aaron specifically, and now Ben, but he had never considered the thought of loving one like his own child. Yet the more he thought of it, the more it made sense. Unlike Annabelle and Aaron, Ben was a child in desperate need of a loving figure in his life. For the last month, without realizing it, he had started to become that. "Even if it were true, Prime. I can't just... Take him." Ironhide shook his head a bit "I failed in finding his Father, in bringing him to justice. If he's with me, he'll never be safe from him." He shook his head "Not if his Father truly is as deep in as we believe him to be." He added.

"Ironhide, if I may. I believe any child you care for that much would be the safest human on Earth with you." Ironhide stared at Optimus as if he had to be kidding, he had to be, right? Or he was confusing him with someone else "When you care about someone, you protect them with your life. We are much like one-another in that respect. You have all the weapons in the world, including your bare hands to keep him safe." He looked at Ironhide "And you have a lot of love to provide, whether or not you try to hide it from others." He looked him in the optics "And I'm sure Ben would agree with me." He added.

Ironhide put his hands on his hips, and looked down, Optimus was right, and he knew it. He could certainly handle having a child around, he had often been around for both Aaron and Annabelle. The thought of having a child around to teach the ways he'd learned, especially weapons-wise, truly made him smile. "I wouldn't... Mind having him as a son. But do you truly believe that Ben would WANT this?" He questioned, and stared at his friend for a moment "I can have a temper, and I know that his-." He began.

"Ironhide, he's fifteen. All he needs is a loving parent that won't hurt him physically or mentally." Optimus interrupted him, staring Ironhide in the optics, he set his hands on Ironhide's shoulders "You can provide that Ironhide, I have faith in you. You should inform the Lennox's of your thoughts. I'm sure they would gladly help in any way you need. As would myself, Magnus, and Bumblebee. You wouldn't be doing this alone." Ironhide nodded in agreement and smiled.

"This is a first, last I remember I used to do this with YOU."

"Consider this returning the favor."

Ironhide nodded his head a bit, then crossed his arms, he'd have to talk to Ben. But if he agreed to this, Ironhide would tackle this issue. Being a Father wouldn't be easy, but he knew his fellow Autobots and the Lennox's would be there to help, just like Optimus had suggested. But he was right in a way, he was the best match for being Ben's Father they had. He had been in Ben's position before, he knew what it was like to recover from such an abusive Father. The difference being, now Ben would have a Father who took good care of him, and would hopefully make the recovery that much easier.

"Well then, I have somewhere to call, and a boy to talk to." He commented, and crossed his arms slowly "Wish me luck." He added.

Ironhide quickly transformed and drove away from the hangar, hoping that Ben would agree to this. He knew Optimus could handle overseeing the decoding of the orders and sales, otherwise he wouldn't have suggested this. He could only hope that Ben would be awake enough to discuss this. And if he was, that he'd agree to this.


	38. Chapter 38

**CHAPTER 38**

Ben was laying in bed when Ironhide finally made his way upstairs. Will and Sarah had agreed not to make his Foster position permanent until Ironhide talked to him. To be honest, Ironhide had never felt so nervous before. He had always planned to have kids, but that was back when Chromia was online. This was a living, breathing creature who he was now possibly going to become a single parent to. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door, and entered the room quietly, Ben stared up at him. He noticed a certain twinkle in Ben's eyes as he appeared that made him smile, he already knew Ben's answer, but they still had to talk. "Hey kiddo." He said, quietly sitting on the side of his bed "How are you doing?" He questioned.

"Better, though I'm still..." Ben stopped short of finishing his sentence "Adjusting." He settled on for a reply

"Well maybe I could possibly help make this whole thing better. We found you a... More permanent placement." Ironhide smiled, Ben's face was a mixture of happiness and sadness "This one is _really_ close to me. I warn you, it's isn't much of a 'family' so much as a parent." Ben seemed to stare at Ironhide, confused, perhaps understanding "A Dad to be exact. He knows what you're going through probably better then anyone else. And though he's never been a parent before, he'd really like to start being one." He smiled a bit, running a hand through Ben's hair "Ain't got a lot to his name anymore, but he'll sure have a lot of love to share with you." He stated "If you'll let him." He added.

Ben let a smile cross his lips, he knew who Ironhide was talking about, and it was himself. Ben's answer wasn't verbal, he threw himself at Ironhide and wrapped his arms around his neck in a tight hug. Ironhide smiled, it was all the answer he needed, he hugged the boy, his son, back very tightly. His son. If all went well he could finally say he had someone to carry on the 'Hide' family name. And he couldn't think of any better person then Ben. "I'm gonna take that as a yes." Ironhide grinned, releasing Ben carefully "I hope you don't mind, but being that I am the family guardian here, you'll still live here. When you're not hanging out on base of course." He smiled a bit "I figure you'd like that better then waiting a month for a bedroom." He added.

"I don't mind either way." Ben smiled a bit, though he flinched as Ironhide felt his eye "Easy 'Hide, it's really sore. My Dad-."

"One condition." Ironhide stated, trying to seem as calm as possible "Don't call that FRAGGER your Father. I don't care if you call me 'Dad' or not. Just don't give him the satisfaction, for me." Ben nodded his head slowly, and Ironhide smiled "Well there's one thing you can be sure of now. That creep sure won't hurt you, if I even see him again, he's going to take one massive canon to his body. I won't even leave BONES." He noted, he then leaned in a bit "Because nobody hurts the people I love." He added.

"You love me?"

"Would I be offering to be your Dad if I didn't?" Ironhide questioned, Ben shook his head knowingly "I didn't know what it was at first. The first and only other time I felt love was with Chromia, and that was an entirely different kind. But I'm positive. I was the moment I saw those bruises and cuts and all I wanted to do was murder the slagger who did it to you." He told him quietly, kissing the top of his head gently "Welcome to the Autobot Family kid. We're a bit crazy, but... What family isn't?" He questioned teasingly.

"Thanks... Dad." Ben smiled a bit.

'Dad', Ironhide could get used to that. He hadn't expected it that early, but he knew it was what Ben needed. To call someone who really deserved the title 'Dad', rather then a complete monster who had, since his birth, made his life a living hell. He'd happily be Ben's Dad, even if he did have a whole lot of responsibility to handle. And that was after he had all the papers signed, after he was adopted, and after some much-needed therapy to help him through the abuse he went through. "Mmm, I can certainly get used to that." He smiled a bit "Well, I think it's time for bed buddy, we can talk a bit more in the morning." He said quietly.

Ben nodded and forced a smile despite the pain, he laid his head against his pillow. Ironhide smiled and carefully tucked the boy in, taking a deep breath. He knew he'd be doing this for many more nights to come, but he still hoped he was doing it right. It may have been odd for a large, tough mech like him to be so nervous, but he couldn't help it, it was who he was. When something was new or unusual to him, he worried, and for some reason, he felt the most nervous that day. "Sweet dreams kiddo." Ironhide told him quietly, kissing him on the forehead again as he had seen so many others do "And don't worry about anything happening while you sleep. Your old man and your Uncle Will are around to kick some aft." He winked a bit.

Irohide waited until Ben fell asleep before he disappeared, settling into his usual spot outside the home. His sensors were on the highest alert level possible that night, just to be sure. After all, as silly as he may have seemed, he was not about to stay up all night worrying about Ryan. If he showed up, he'd give Ryan a reason to fear the word Autobot, of that, one could be absolutely certain. He slowly allowed himself to fall into stasis, feeling content that, at least for the moment, Ben was safe and sound.

...

It was the next day that Ben was brought to base to meet the others. It had taken a lot of time to convince Ben to come to the base, especially with his face still looking somewhat mangled, but Ironhide had assured him that everyone knew the situation and would not comment. In fact, for probably the first time, Galloway didn't even make a cruel comment of any kind about Ben or Ironhide's decision to adopt him. Just seeing the pictures had disturbed him quite a lot, that much was clear. And obviously, he didn't want to see the boy end up like that again. Even a cold person like him wasn't totally heartless, even if it seemed like that at times.

Ironhide's real form had taken him aback slightly, but Ben was quickly getting used to it. He was perched upon his right shoulder, smiling a bit, though it was more of a shy smile then anything. Ironhide had introduced him to pretty much the entire Autobot faction, though the kids were at school, so he'd have to wait to meet the others like him. Regardless, however, Ben already felt oddly welcomed. Especially by Optimus, who looked extremely enraged by his wounds. Clearly, he had found himself even more angry after seeing the wounds in person. Taking a deep breath, Ben watched as Ironhide began to work with his cannons and other various weapons.

"So this is your actual job?"

"Yep, I'm a weapons specialist." Ironhide smirked at him, his optics turned to stare at him calmly "I hope you don't mind the fact I probably have to work around dangerous weapons. Though there ain't much to worry about, I'm quite well versed in all manner of weapons." He smiled, looking at him "As well as at simple combat, perhaps I'll even teach you a bit. Just in case, heaven forbid, you need to protect yourself." He added.

"I'd love to learn Dad, I'm not the strongest guy around. But if you're willing to be patient." Ben shrugged his shoulders a bit, staring at Ironhide "Oh, who am I kidding. You're pretty patient... When you want to be." He teased, knowing at times that he was a bit impatient, but normally very patient "But we should wait... I'm still really sore." He admitted "I don't think I can handle that kind of work out right now." He added "Sorry."

Ironhide nodded in understanding, he wouldn't put him through combat training in his current condition anyway. He was, after all, responsible for him now, he had signed documents giving him at least temporary custody of him now. Meaning he was his Foster Son, and one he planned to take care of correctly. As hard as it would be, and as much time as it would take to learn, Ironhide strangely was okay with that. "Well, I don't plan to train you right now anyway. I'm not about to hurt you. We haven't even had our first real meeting with your social worker yet." He noted "I'd be pretty stupid to ruin it so quickly." He added.

"You'd better not."

Ironhide smirked and poked his Foster Son in the stomach playfully. He knew he was only teasing him, but then again, he was only doing the same. After all, behind the scenes, Ironhide really was a playful mech. But as a hardened warrior, he simply chose to hide it outside of closed quarters. It was a precaution, lest anyone find his weak spots who he didn't want to. Primus forbid anyone, _especially _Ben now be used to get to him. "Hey, I may be new to this, but I know how to treat a kid. Or have you forgotten that I've been around Will's daughter, Annabelle since she was an infant." He noted, he grinned a little then went back to stocking up a few cannons "So, what do you like to do fer fun yourself?" He questioned.

"I play a lot of sports basketball especially."

Setting the weapons down, done, he turned to Ben. He could go for a game of basketball, and also for a break. He grinned from receptor to receptor, and nodded his head. "Well then, why don't we go play a little one on one." He winked one good optic "Let's see if you have as much game as yer old man, shall we?" He questioned.

"Oh trust me, I'm sure I do."

Ironhide grinned a little at him, they'd certainly see about that. For now however, he'd simply go easy on him for the sake of his wounds. Even so, he had a feeling he was in for a run for his money, something about the grin on Ben's face said it all. But they'd see soon enough, either way, he expected to have fun. "We'll see about that Ben." He finally added, taking a deep breath "We shall definitely see."


	39. Chapter 39

**CHAPTER 39**

Being among friends, Ben should have felt safe. Yet, he wasn't entirely sure that any of the other Autobot kids trusted him at all. Robbie, who he understood came from a similar, yet less serious background of abuse, was the most friendly. Even if he had been spying on him, he understood why he did it, and didn't ever blame him. Aaron on the other hand, didn't trust Ben as far as he could throw him and avoided him as much as he could. Jack didn't mind either way, as smart as the boy was, he was still a little boy and trusted most people. Yet still, Ben had connected with Robbie the best out of anybody. Robbie understood what he was going through, and like Ironhide, truly cared and listened when he just needed someone.

Robbie had been the first person to really open up to him in a way. When he had been introduced to him, he had known exactly what he'd gone through. His abuse had never been as brutal but he recognized the pained look in his eyes and the scars. So it was mostly Ben and Robbie when they were both out of school and Ben wasn't hanging out with Ironhide. Jack sometimes joined him, like he was that day, but when he was around, Aaron usually trained with Ironhide or hung around Bumblebee. "So, I know you probably expected this question sometime." Ben looked over at Robbie, he was on the floor of Ben's room in the Lennox home "So I'm just gonna ask. What's it like having Ironhide for a Dad?" He questioned.

"What do you mean?"

Aaron and Jack exchanged looks as if they were confused as to why Ben didn't know how much of a badass Ironhide was. Then again, unlike Ben, they had seen the big burly mech in action, Ben had yet to, for whatever reason. "Oh come on man, you've never seen him in action. But you have to know the guy is a complete BEAST." Robbie noted, crossing his arms, and staring at his friend "Heck, the guy has a WEAPONS VAULT, that alone should spell it out for you. Can you imagine how many cannons he has in that thing?" He asked.

"It's not much different then any other non-abusive Dad." Ben crossed his arms, staring at him like he was nuts "He's here to tuck me into bed at night. He helps me with my homework, plays sports. Really Robbie, he's the most normal Dad I've ever met." He admitted with a chuckle at the look of shock on his friend's face "Come on man, did you really expect him to be this uber awesome Dad? He's actually a bit strict, and protective." He shrugged "Mostly because, you know. I'm sure you know what I mean since I'm sure Magnus is the same way." He added.

"Dang and I was hoping to hear crazy stories from your time so far." Jack spoke up, he crossed his arms and pouted a bit "Figures the most exciting Autobot would be a normal parent. My Dad is the same exact way." He commented.

"Pffft your Dad isn't crazy, Optimus is awesome." Robbie nudged his little cousin gently "You're lucky to have him for a Dad, just like I'm lucky to have my Dad, and Ben is now lucky to have his." He shrugged his shoulders a bit, looking thoughtful "When you think about it, all our Dad's are awesome. Because how many kids can say their parent is a giant robot?" He then added "That are aware of that." He commented, before either could mention Megatron's growing army "Only four of them, FOUR, tell me that's not pretty awesome?" He questioned.

"Amen." Came the universal reply.

A knock on the door caught the boys off-guard, Sarah opened the door calmly, smiling at them. A plate of grilled cheese's in her hands. "Thought you all might be hungry." She noted, nodding and setting the plate on the ground.

"Thanks Aunt Sarah."

Sarah nodded, leaving, Robbie immediately stared at Ben like his friend had won the lottery. Of course, Ben knew why, Sarah was very kind, so was Will and they treated him like family. Sarah was sort of a doting Mother figure, and Will acted like his Uncle, sometimes older brother. They did a lot of things to help him feel at home and while he appreciated it, he felt like Sarah spoiled him a bit too much. "Yep, I think that settled it. Your family is the most awesome." Robbie commented, staring at Ben "I wish someone would bring me lunch to my room when my friends were over." He added.

"Hey you live on the base itself, it's as easy as going to the cafeteria!" Ben rolled his eyes, reaching down and taking a sandwich "It's not that hard to walk, is it? I mean, it's cool she does this and all, but I sometimes feel bad about it." He admitted, rubbing the back of his head "I mean I know they want me to know that I'm safe and all... But they don't have to spoil me to do it." He admitted.

"Dude, what kind of teenager ARE you?" Robbie questioned.

"Come on Robbie, you know what it's like. You can't tell me that your time with your abusive Foster Father didn't change you." Ben commented, Robbie nodded a bit, not about to argue with that "It matures a person, and as much as you say that. I bet you wouldn't feel comfortable with the extra attention either." He noted, Robbie seemed to think it over this time "Seriously?" He questioned.

"It's not that big a deal though." Jack suddenly spoke up "I mean it's not like she's delivering you toys and video games." Ben rolled his eyes at the typical child mindset "Now, THEN it would be a match made in heaven." He grinned from ear-to-ear.

Ben rolled his eyes at his younger friend a bit, though it was cute. It was strange he had never really had friends who he just sat around, talking with. Normally, he'd hang out with others around School, sometimes not even that, then go straight home. These days, he was starting to get closer to the other people on base, enjoying life, and slowly, but surely, healing his wounds both mentally and physically. Finding some friends he felt more comfortable around had really helped, that was for sure. "Okay, so I guess it's kinda cool. So is having Ironhide as a Dad." Ben sighed a bit "I mean, he's pretty awesome and all. These days it's just hard to see him as anything more then my world-saving, cannon-toting, Dad." He admitted.

"Yeah, nothing epic about that." Robbie rolled his eyes a bit, sarcasm laden in his voice "I think most people would kill for that, you know?"

Ben nodded a bit, though he would have killed for any, loving parent. It just so happened that the one he found was Ironhide, but he could have settled for anyone as a loving parent if he had found one. He sighed a bit, sitting on the edge of his bed, he finished off the grilled cheese calmly. He sighed a bit, and leaned back before turning to Robbie again. "Like I said, he's just my Dad, no matter how awesome he is. Seriously, Magnus is awesome, but do you see him as anything more then just your Dad?" He questioned.

"You have a good point."

Ben nodded a bit, at the honk of a horn outside, he looked outside, Ironhide sat in the driveway. Ben sighed a bit, and turned to the others. "Well, that's my cue guys, sorry. But we have a meeting with Social Services today. Can't be late." Ben hopped off the bed, and stared at them "Wish us luck guys, we get past this one and he gets full custody of me. It's not being adopted yet, but it's close." He grinned as he jogged out of the room.

Robbie smiled a bit, remembering when that was him, now another kid was being made happy. He just hoped it would stay that way, after all, it worked out for him, but who knew if it would a second time. Taking a deep breath, he stood, and stretched a bit, putting a hand on Jack's shoulder as the boy stood as well. "Come on little cous, we need to get going too. Dad and Uncle Prime are probably expecting us back by now." He noted.

They left as well, thinking that, at least for the moment, things were calm. Even if it was an obvious calm before the storm.

...

"How long until we will have what we require?"

Ryan turned his head to Megatron, who stood behind him, crossing his arms. Ryan took a deep breath, looking back at the colossal compute in front of him. He took a deep breath, and rolled his eyes quietly. "Not much longer, the hard part will be constructing the means to bring them here." Ryan commented, he stared at Megatron with a frown "The chances are high that we'll need to open a universal space bridge as you put it. And sadly, our means of getting one built from what resources we do have are gone." He added.

"Not for long. Benjamin will be returned to us, one way or another." Megatron sneered evily "It's a human boy, the most we have to worry about is Ironhide and even then if we get our hands on him he's helpless. He'd never attack with those he cares about in the line of danger." He chuckled a bit "His one and only deadly weakness." He added, coldly.

Ryan nodded his head a bit, he still didn't understand why the Decepticons couldn't build the bridge themselves however. He knew there was likely a reason for it, but he didn't normally question Megatron, considering he usually knew exactly what he was doing. And also because he could easily step on him and squash him like a pint-sized bug. "Give me one month." Ryan turned his head to Megatron, who nodded a bit "I'll have all the supplies and means you need. And with any luck, that will include Ben." He added coldly.

Megatron grinned slightly, two months might have been a long wait. But no wait was _too_ long for destroying the Autobots in such a way as he had planned. He crossed his arms and his optics flashed slightly. "Excellent." He hissed simply, clearly satisfied.


	40. Chapter 40

**CHAPTER 40**

Ben wasn't sure whether he found Ironhide and the Social Worker amusing, or frightening. Ironhide wasn't tense, angry, or anything to that effect. In fact, Ironhide was all smiles, calm, and friendly, a side he only ever saw him acting around himself, Jack, and Annabelle. Ben smiled to himself, Ironhide clearly really wanted to be his Dad, otherwise he'd never have forced himself to be as calm as he was being. Ironhide smiled over at Ben, they had been in the waiting room for a while now, waiting to see if Ironhide would get custody of him fully. If he did, he'd have a fighting chance of getting Ben adopted into his family, and while that would take a good few months, it was a start. "Relax Ben, it's going to be alright." Ironhide smiled a bit, Ben only nodded at him "Come on kid, even if it doesn't work out, you'll go into the Lennox's care again. And slag, I'll always be there, even if you're legally there's, I'll always be your 'Dad' if you'll have me." He noted.

"I know Dad, but it wouldn't be the same. I want to be your son, not your surrogate son." Ben leaned against Ironhide, who gently pulled an arm around him "The Lennox's are great but they aren't you. They aren't home, not to me at least. Home is being with you." He admitted, he smiled gently "You make me feel safer and more loved then I ever have felt in my life." He added, he stared down at the ground "I know as long as I'm with you I'll be safe." He added.

Ironhide took a deep breath, he understood where Ben was coming from here. Ben was afraid, of the Decepticons as well as his Father. Ironhide knew that his constant presence around the boy was probably one of the only reasons Ben was not back in his Father's clutches. The boy was a genius, so he had learned, and Ironhide knew that in itself could mean a multitude of things. Among them, that the Decepticons needed him for something more then just spying on Robbie. "'Ey, don't be so nervous." Ironhide squeezed his arm gently "I'll fight for ye if I have to, yer not going anywhere, alright?" He stated, he stared into Ben's eyes "Especially not back to that pit hole." He added.

Ben shifted a bit, and continued to lean against Ironhide, he decided he'd let the safety soak in for now, just in case. Taking a deep breath, he shifted a bit, and looked at Ironhide. "Hey, I'm gonna go to the bathroom really quick, alright?" He commented.

"Don't be too long."

Ben stood up slowly, making his way down the adjacent hallway. His eyes shifted around a bit, but he didn't see anything too abnormal. It wasn't that he was paranoid, no, paranoid wouldn't have been the right word. He was just simply being more careful of where he went these days. Especially with the likes of Lazerbeak and Ravage around, he knew they could transform into smaller machines, and be practically anything. At the very sight of anything unusual, he did his best to avoid it, no matter what he had to do. He could have blamed Aaron for scaring him with that information, but he liked to believe maybe the teen was warming up to him, and trying to warn him. Taking a deep breath, he was in and out of the bathroom in under a minute.

The quiet of the room almost made him quite unnerved, but he made his way back towards the waiting room. Ironhide was clearly wrapping things up, he shook hands with an official, and by the large smile on his face as he stared at Ben, it went well. The man went back towards his office and Ironhide stared at Ben. "Well, looks like yer stuck with me, at least if all goes well in the adoption process." Ironhide smirked a bit, looking him in the eyes, Ben just stood stunned "Well, are ye gonna hug me or not? I can tell you want to." He commented teasingly.

Ben threw himself at Ironhide almost immediately, the initial shock clearly gone. Ironhide hugged back tightly, a little to tightly as Ben began to wheeze quietly, but quickly released him, gently. He had the week off now to devote to Ben, he had been on leave for this, and also on what resulted if they succeeded. Optimus rarely gave time off, but Ben needed help adjusting to being a part of Ironhide's family. Even as his Foster Son, he was now legally his, they just had to work on making it official now. "So, what do we do now?" Ben questioned, looking up at Ironhide as he began to lead him out "New school or anything like that?" He questioned.

"Nah, I don't think you'll need to attend private school. You'll get yer permit, and an Autobot guardian." Ironhide replied, he smiled a bit "That way you'll be safe at all times, even if I'm not around. And before you ask, I'll be choosing them, someone I know I can trust." He noted, nodding at him "Other then that, your life will continue as normal as possible. Something I hope you're thankful for." He added.

Ben nodded his head a bit, he felt Ironhide rub his arm gently, and took a deep breath. He was finally free, not a ward, not in Ryan's care. He was in Ironhide's care, someone he knew would take care of and love him. And most of all, someone he knew could and would keep him safe. Something he had never honestly felt in his entire life, and therefore was grateful for more then anything. "Well then, I guess Ryan won't get me back now." Ben commented "I'm legally in your care, right?" He questioned.

"Yep, and even if he does fight me for custody. Or Primus forbid, by other means, he won't stand a chance." Ironhide noted, his voice and face firm "I promise you that, you'll never have to go back to that horrible man again." He added gently.

They made their way towards his alternate mode, and though Ironhide said nothing, he took note of his own uneasiness. Something was wrong, not about what had just happened, but about his surroundings. Ben had just climbed into the truck when he noticed him, Ryan stood quite a ways off, watching them. Closing his doors and locking them, he ignored Ben's questioning as he stalked toward where the man stood. "You have A LOT of nerve showing your face here." Ironhide snarled standing nearly nose-to-nose with the man "We know who you work for, so you have less then five seconds-." He began.

"You wouldn't kill me in front of Benjamin, I can tell you're not the type. You wouldn't WANT him to see your violent side." Ryan mocked Ironhide, who's face contorted in outright anger, though he knew the man was right "Now, now, Ironhide, don't get SO angry. After all, you can't really be angry at me for just being at the right place, at the right time." He smirked, Ironhide could feel his fists clenching "What has he told you Ironhide, huh? What has he told you about his life in what we both know WAS luxury?" He grinned, quite evily "Tell you how I used to touch him to?" He questioned.

Ironhide didn't even know how to respond to that, in any language, in any culture, touching meant the same thing. Suddenly the massive fears that Ben had toward his Father made sense, he didn't just physically abused Ben, there was sexual abuse happening too. It was at that point that Ironhide silenced Ryan before he could go any further, he punched him, square in the throat, knocking the wind out of him. The man fell back, and Ironhide lifted his foot up and stomped on his face, straight down on Ryan's already broken nose before doing the same to his groin area. When he reached there, he dug his foot in until the man was _screaming_ in pain and released. The man spat out blood onto the ground, unable to even speak.

"Yer gonna listen right here." Ironhide was cold, mellow, no emotions even shown as he gripped Ryan by the neck "You'd best shut up about whatever else you did to _my_ son lest you dig your own grave, Turner. The next time I see you, and pray to yer God, who I doubt would even grant you mercy that I don't. I will rip your throat right out of that neck of yours. Whether Benjamin is here or not." He brought the man's face close to his, Ryan for once looked at a loss for words "And so help me Primus, I mean it." He added.

"You... Can't... Hurt... Humans."

Ironhides grin was wicked, his eyes glowing blue in a clear show of fury. "A bastard like you ain't human. There isn't anything HUMAN about you, you low life slagging piece of scrap." He then added, leaning in closer, a deadly glare in his eyes "And do believe me when I say this, Turner, Prime would gladly lift the rule in YER case." He kneed Ryan in the chest, knocking him onto his back, he quickly removed a rag from his holoforms pocket and tossed it onto the man "Clean yerself up, you look like shit." He noted coldly, walking away from the completely stunned, horrified, and brutally beaten man.

What he had been told circulated in Ironhide's processor, just _how_ far had this abuse been taken? He dared not even think about it, nor to talk to Ben about it. He'd let Ben come to him about all of this when he was ready. He knew something _that_ traumatic was not something you forced a child to talk about. Ironhide appeared in his alternate mode, Ben had clearly seen Ryan as he looked pale and fearful. "What'd you do to him?" He questioned.

"More then likely took away his ability to reproduce." Ironhide gently ran a hand through Ben's hair "Don't worry, I don't think that slagger will be a threat to us anymore. I made sure of it." He noted.

As Ironhide drove off, a bewildered and completely stunned Ryan began to re-evaluate things. Perhaps, for the first time, he was realizing just _who _he was dealing with. He wasn't taking the kid, not without a fight, and the chances of taking him with Ironhide around were about ten billion to negative one. His body trembling, he turned around and bolted away from the area, afraid in his own way, that the topkick would try to run him down if he stuck around much longer. From a distance, as Ironhide began to drive out the opposite way, his holoform grinned wickedly yet again. Confident that he had, at the very least, made his point.

He could only hope in the back of his processor that _that_ would be the last they'd ever see of Ryan Turner.


	41. Chapter 41

**CHAPTER 41**

"You are certain the man was not exaggerating?"

In all the years Ironhide knew Optimus, he had never seen the mech so furious. Then again, Ironhide was the same way, the thought of that man most likely abusing him in more ways then physically enraged him. Ironhide seated himself on the Transformer sized seat in Optimus's office and took a deep breath. "I'm positive. It makes sense Prime, why he is so afraid of the man. Why it took him so long to get used to unexpected hugs." He shook his head a bit "I'm just glad I probably did a lot of collateral damage to the fragger, he had it coming." He added.

"I normally do not condone violence towards humans. But if I were you, I'd have done the exact same thing." Optimus admitted quietly, taking a deep breath "Ironhide, has Ben ever even talked to you about how violent the abuse was?" Ironhide shook his head a bit "You need to sit down and speak to him about it. If the abuse is as bad as you believe, he cannot be off base while he remains at large." Ironhide stared down "If we did he'd be in danger Ironhide. If Ryan can't make a direct attack on Ben, and he knows it, he may send Decepticons." He then added "Clearly, they need him for something, or he wouldn't be 'stalking' him as you put it." He added.

"Prime, I want him to come to me. If this fragger touched him. There's a good chance he may have _raped_ him as well." Ironhide stated, his voice low and hoarse at the thought "If that's the case Prime, I refuse to make my son revisit those memories. Not until he comes to me." He then added quietly "Have him homeschooled here, that I will deal with, but I will not... I will not force such horrible memories out of him." He added quietly.

Optimus stared at his old friend, and nodded a bit. Ironhide was right, to make him relive that could do severe damage to Ben. They were likely memories he stored away, and never spoke of. But in time, like most victims of sexual abuse, it was likely Ben would tell Ironhide all about it. In order to get it all out, to come to some one, yet for now, Ironhide was right, they needed to let Ben come to him first. "You're right, it would be... Risky to draw Ben's memories out." He told him, quietly, then stared Ironhide in the optics "I just hope that Ben tells you Ironhide, otherwise it could do more damage for him not to speak of it." He added.

"You could have asked."

The two turned their optics toward Ben, who stared up at them from the doorway. Ironhide stared at Ben, and frowned, having not even realized that he had been listening. Carefully, he crouched down and picked him up, setting Ben on Optimus's desk. "Is it... True then?" Ironhide hesitated.

Ben turned his head a bit, but he knew he was among friends. His eyes welled with tears as he recalled that night, that _horrific _night that Ryan had taken away his innocence. It hadn't even been that long ago, he had only been twelve years old. Ironhide reached over, running a finger along his back, he knew the answer, but Ben needed the comfort. "He did it only once, three years ago. I... I threatened to run away from there. And he did it to scare me into staying." He shook his head, looking down "I was just twelve, I didn't know what he meant, and he just..." He felt weak at the knees, Ironhide doing his best to steady him.

"Easy Ben, that's all we need to know." Ironhide said carefully, not wanting to damage Ben "You don't have to tell us what happened if you don't want to." He looked fuming mad, but Ben was his first concern right now, he stared at Optimus, who appeared to be at a loss for words "I don't even... Primus, this man is even sicker then we first imagined. He... Did this..." Ironhide let a cannon activate and blasted a nearby wall, stunning both Ben and Optimus "I should have killed the bastard. Every ounce of me told me too, but I didn't." He noted.

Ben stared down, already feeling bad for telling him. Ironhide was enraged as-is, he could have waited, but he didn't want any false rumors spreading from eavesdroppers. The last thing he needed was to be labeled as anything he wasn't. "Dad, I'm sorry, this is why I didn't tell you. I knew... I knew I'd just... Cause more stress." Ben rubbed the side of his arm a bit, taking a deep breath "I'm sorry." He added quietly.

"Fer what? You didn't do anything wrong." Ironhide noted, crouching so that he was eye level with the desk "Please Ben, don't ever think what he did to you was your fault." Optimus watched, quite stunned by the softness in his old friend's optics and voice "You brought NONE of it on yourself." He concluded.

A smile crossed Optimus's lips, it was obvious having Ben around was changing Ironhide, for the better. He was calmer, nicer, and happier then he ever had been, and it was for that reason that he knew Ironhide had by now formed a bond with the teen. He was glad to see this, as after Chromia had been killed, he knew that Ironhide needed and deserved to be happy again. His face slowly became serious as he turned to Ben. "For the time being, until he is brought to justice. Ironhide and I have chosen to keep you homeschooled here." Ben turned his head, and nodded slowly "We fear the Deepticons want you, not him. But regardless, you should not be alone in your hometown while he remains at large." He noted.

"I understand Optimus, thank you for caring." Ben nodded his head a bit, taking a deep breath "To tell you the truth, I haven't felt safe when I'm alone either." He told him honestly, looking down and putting his hands in his pockets "I'm just glad that you guys know now. I mean, it's... It's been hard dealing with this alone." He added, and tried his best to keep calm "I just wasn't sure if you would think of me any differently." He added quietly.

"Nothing will make me see you differently son." Ironhide patted his head carefully "You're my son, at least you soon will be. And I love you, you hear me?" He placed a finger under Ben's chin and lifted his head carefully "Nothing you do, or say is going to change how I think of you." He added gently, he turned toward Optimus, who nodded in reassurance he was saying the right thing "You know when Optimus is protecting you like you were his own... You're well trusted and among friends." He laid a gentle kiss on Ben's head "Alright?" Ben nodded his head slowly, Ironhide turned his head and stared at Optimus "Prime, may I be excused? It's late, and I'd prefer to... Put my son to bed tonight." He noted.

"Of course." Optimus stared at Ben and Ironhide with a smile "Congrats on the success you two, and hopefully, we shall have another adoption to celebrate soon as well." He smiled at them.

Ironhide nodded and exited the room, setting Ben on his shoulder as he moved to the door. They walked down the hallway, and Ben remained quiet, clearly still nervous. Ironhide could understand why, he and Optimus must have been the first people he told of the sexual if it was once, he knew Ben was traumatized by it far more then any other form of abuse he had been subjected to. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Ben told him quietly, Ironhide eyed him carefully "But I was scared if he ever did... Take me back that he'd kill me for it. He told me he would if I ever told anyone." He added, quietly.

"Don't even worry about it. The fact you told us at all stuns me. I figured it would be too hard for ye." Ironhide stared at Ben, who nodded a bit, almost deadly quiet "It makes sense of things however. When I first tried to pat you on the shoulder..." He took a deep breath, and looked down "I _should_ have realized it was more then physical abuse. As there is something all too similar on Cybertron "If I ever move in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable due to it... Please, tell me." He shook his head "I don't want to loose your trust." He added quietly.

"You never could." Ben leaned against Ironhide a bit "I used to be scared that you'd change, but I know you wouldn't." He closed his eyes for a moment, and shook his head "I know you'd never do the same thing that he did to me." He added.

"You can count on that."

Ironhide transformed around Ben, and began to drive for the the Lennox Household. Ben fell asleep in the passenger's seat, clearly exhausted from the excitement and stress of the day. Ironhide couldn't blame him, this had to have been a hard day for him. In a way, the fact Ryan had ruined what should have been a day of happiness and joy like that only served to make him even more angry. But he'd try, key word, TRY, not to totally let it borrow him. Ben was safe, he was his Foster Son now, and within a few months, he'd hopefully be forever his. No matter what Ryan did, Ironhide swore to himself, the man _would_ die by his hands some day. For all he had done, and threatened to do to Ben, a boy he had now formed a bond with as Optimus had guessed.

They arrived in front of the house, the door open and Will waiting for them in the doorway. Ironhide knew he must have known, as he looked concerned. He climbed out of his alt mode with his holoform, and pulled Ben into his arms, carrying him toward the home. "It was true William." Will frowned shaking his head a bit "Don't make any comments, Ben is quite shaken and I don't want to see him breaking down again." He stared at Will, who nodded "We can talk about this once I've put him to bed." He noted.

Ironhide carried him to his room, making his way into the bedroom. He carefully set the boy in bed, tucking him in gently, and standing there for a moment. He looked peaceful in his sleep, as if none of these horrible things had happened. Such innocence, despite the fact his innocence was taken from him long ago. Taking a deep breath, he leaned down and kissed him on the forehead in a gesture of 'goodnight' before heading out the door to speak to Will. He could only hope that Ben would be alright for the night, and that he felt safe. He couldn't stand seeing Ben suffer anymore.


	42. Chapter 42

Ox King: Sadly, I think I have enough lead characters in this one. At least for now. :) Thank you SO much for your kind words, those truly made my day! To explain them all being male, I just am better at writing male characters, so I went with that. :) Though I plan to have Robbie's love interest, Dana gradually have a bigger role.

...

**CHAPTER 42**

Optimus had always thought that being a Father again would be easy, after all, he was much older then when Bumblebee was born. He was a Grandfather now, and now a Father to a six year old as well. Yet after having Jack in his care for the time he had, it was becoming more and more obvious it was less then easy. Jack was only seven, and required more attention then he had been used to in recent years, even though he was mature for his age. Yet if anyone were to ask whether Optimus regretted finding and meeting Jack, Optimus would have told them simply that it was a hard job being a Father to one so young, but he wouldn't have traded Jack for anything.

He reminded him a great deal of Aaron when he was young, he was curious, adventurous, and loving. Even if Jack didn't always do well with rules, Optimus found that he could easily keep up with the young human moreso then he expected to. And if he truly felt he couldn't be left alone, Optimus usually had Jack perched up on his shoulder, an honor few were given, anyway. It wasn't unusual anymore to find Optimus with the little tyke sitting in the crook of his left shoulder blade. Oftentimes, the only time he wouldn't be there were when he was with the other children, or Optimus was in a meeting. After all, a young human ad no place in a meeting, for the fact it only served to bore him and that he simply was not the type to be completely quiet.

That afternoon however, Optimus hadn't had much of a choice. Jack was out of school much earlier then the other kids, and the Autobots had had a rather busy, if not complicated week. Luckily, Robbie had agreed to lend Jack his Nintendo 3DS for the drive to the meeting, which was in London that day. They took a Space Bridge, but it was still close to an hour drive from where the Space Bridge dropped them off. "Jackson." Jack looked up from the game, and towards his holoform calmly as Optimus spoke "I expect you to be on your best behavior today. We are here to seal good relations between the Autobots and the United Kingdom." Jack nodded a bit, though Optimus knew he did not fully understand "Can you do that for me?" He questioned.

"Of course Dad, why wouldn't I?"

Optimus sighed a bit, he supposed Jack made a point. Even though he was young, he tended to be well-behaved when he chose to be. Optimus knew how important this was went over Jack's head in many ways, but he was his son, so in some way, he likely did understand. "I was only making sure that you understood, Jack." Optimus stared at his son with a smile "This will be your first public appearance as my son, after all." He noted.

"They do know about me though, right?" Jack asked, shifting, he looked a bit concerned about it.

Optimus frowned, in disbelief that Jack would even question if he spoke of him at all. He had been ecstatic about having another son after the initial shock, he had told nearly everyone about him. To the point where he was almost concerned that his constant speaking of Jack had annoyed anyone. It wasn't that Optimus was normally one to brag, it was simply that the discovery that he would be a Father again had excited him greatly. "Primus, like you need to ask?" Optimus gave his young son's hair a fair shake "Finding you was one of the happiest moments of my life Jack, however unexpected it was." He noted affectionately.

He came to a stop in front of the embassy, allowing Jack a moment to pocket the game and climb out before they both exited. Optimus's holoform was clad in a suit for the occasion, as it normally was during political meetings. Jack had also been dressed in a suit, designed for a small child of course, his hair cut shorter. He was a cute little guy with the look, and Optimus was certain he'd be hearing a lot of that as the day progressed. "Looking good m'boy." He noted patting the child's head.

"I feel weird wearing this." Jack noted, tugging at the collar a bit, he looked at his Father calmly "Do I really have to wear this?"

"Only for the afternoon, son. Once we're home, you're free to change clothing." Optimus noted, pulling an arm around Jack as they entered the Embassy "It will feel odd today, as it is your first time doing so, I take it. But when you accompany more often, I suspect it will become far easier." He continued, noting Jack's raised eyebrow, he smiled "This will not be the last time you come with me son. When you grow older, I'd enjoy it if you took more trips with me. Perhaps learn a few things." He admitted.

"And if I don't want to do this stuff?"

"You don't have to be." Optimus quickly replied, staring down at him "I won't force any of my children to be something you do not want to be. I simply said that in case the time ever comes that you _do_ wish to follow in my footsteps." He took a deep breath "But this is a conversation best left for a later date. You are only six, you have all the time in the world to think of a career." He noted, and patted the boy's shoulder "But for now, let's get on with this, shall we? The sooner we're done the sooner we go out for ice cream afterward." He winked at the boy slightly.

Jack's face lit up in excitement at the very word Ice Cream. Optimus had quickly learned if you offered a child Ice Cream, they'd do most things without much complaint. He was no doubt grateful to have discovered this as it worked just as well with Jack as it did with Annabelle Lennox or the Epps Children. He could only hope that the rest of the day would go smoothly, lest he risk screwing this up.

...**  
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Ben could feel his nightmares getting worse, no matter how hard he tried to make them go away. He feel the strong arms on him, being held down, the screaming, the agonizing screaming for help. But before it could all start, he shot up _screaming_ in his sleep, safe and sound in the Lennox household. His body trembled, taking a few deep breaths, his eyes filled with tears. It only took a moment for Ironhide to appear in the room, a gun gripped in his holoforms hands. Seeing Ben safe and sound, he took a few deep breaths. "The nightmare again?" Ironhide questioned, knowing well enough by now "Primus, we should never have brought that memory out of you." He kicked the side of the wall lightly.

"It's alright Dad, it's not your fault." Ben commented, taking a few, deep breaths "I just... Those kinds of nightmares never really go away." He muttered, his eyes filled with honest "They were there before I told you guys, and it's going to be there long after." He added.

Ironhide seated himself on Ben's bed carefully, for the first time, he didn't know what to do. Ben was going through something he had never himself seen or dealt with, and he was supposed to help him through it. It wasn't easy, that was certain, but he was trying, he had been for the last week and he hoped it was at least somewhat-working. He let out a deep sigh, and stared at Ben. "Is there any I can do, kiddo?" He questioned, and stared at Ben "Water? Talking? Anything?" He questioned.

"You should get some recharge."

Ironhide frowned reached a hand out, carefully, and ran his fingers through the boy's hair. "I'm not going to rest until you do son, I could never recharge knowing you were awake and miserable." He added quietly, looking Ben in the eyes "Just because I'm a hard-aft doesn't mean I am never concerned. I don't know how many times I need to explain this to ye." He told him "You can come to me about anything and talk to me about anything." He noted.

Ben stared down a bit, shifting in his bed a little, he stared at Ironhide quietly, then away. "I didn't see the rape, okay? I saw the start of it, but I luckily didn't actually picture it. I've learned to block that out as I've gotten older." He admitted, taking a deep breath "I'm just too afraid to sleep afterward. So if you're going to stay until I fall asleep, you'll be here all night." He commented.

Ironhide stared a bit at Ben, he looked deep in thought, then noted. "Would you feel more comfortable if you didn't have to sleep alone?" Ben raised an eyebrow in confusion at Ironhide "I know typically, a child sleeps with their parent as a toddler. However, I know it normally gives a sense of comfort." He noted, and stared at him "If you'd like, I can remain in here to keep you safe tonight." He noted.

Ben stared at Ironhide for a moment, considering it. Perhaps there was the slightest ounce of fear at the thought because of what happened in his nightmare. Yet the soft energy Ironhide gave off from his spark told him he had nothing to fear. Ironhide would never do such a thing to him. He nodded slowly and carefully scooted over in his bed, allowing Ironhide room to carefully move next to him, staying on top of the covers, his nearest arm wrapped around his shoulders. "Relax Ben." He whispered in his ear, pulling him close to his body, Ironhide kissed his Foster Son gently on the forehead "Know you sleep safely tonight. No one's going to hurt you while I'm around." He noted.

It wasn't long after Ben had fallen asleep against his chest that Ironhide was deep in recharge as well. Confident that Ben felt safe and secure as he didn't stir another moment the entire night. The two were so deep in a peaceful sleep that neither noticed as Will Lennox, who had woken for a midnight snack, quietly stared in on them. It was the first time he had truly seen Ironhide so soft, gentle, and comforting to anyone before. He smiled for a bit, considering recording it for blackmail later, but decided against it. After all, the sight was almost too adorable, even for him, for him to ruin it with that. As such, he simply walked off, and decided to keep the mental image of it all, just in case it might possibly come in handy later anyway.


	43. Chapter 43

So excited right now! Get to go to Dark of the Moon tonight at 9, when we weren't even sure if it'd be playing where I am right now! So sad though, last movie possibly, hoping for something amazing!

...

**CHAPTER 43**

Bumblebee had been quite busy the last few days, so he relished in having that Monday to spend with Aaron. With Optimus still in the UK with his younger brother, their one day trip having spread into three, he had no babysitting duty, no missions to undertake. It allowed him some much needed alone time with his son, something that he had sorely lacked in having for some time. The beach on the edge of the housing area was the one place that afforded them any semblance of quiet and peace, and while it managed to get sand in his gears, Bumblebee didn't mind much, it was worth it.

Aaron was not unlike him in many respects, athletic, and well-built. As a result, most of the morning had been spent watching the young man surf along the many waves near the beach. It was dangerous, being that there were no other islands within miles of Diego Garcia, but at the same time, Bumblebee could easily scan one of the NEST boats if need be. Of course, as usual it wasn't needed, as Aaron came back no more then a couple of hours into it, shaking his blond hair a bit and sticking his custom Autobot surfboard in the sand. He had only had his own surfboard for a month, as it had been a gift from Bumblebee, but he seemed to be enjoying it. At least it was easier then going down to California nearly every week, renting one, and staying out there without supervision.

"Man Dad, the waves are amazing out here." Aaron commented, he looked up at Bumblebee "If we could just get you a Transformer-sized one now. It'd be awesome to see if one of you guys could pull this off." He jested.

Bumblebee chuckled a bit at his young son, but nodded in agreement. Though as amusing as it would probably be, it was unlikely to work. Even if they didn't rust, he'd still likely sink to the bottom each time, and swimming up again wasn't the least bit easy. He simply shook his head after giving it more though, and patted the boy gently with a forefinger. "I'm afraid I wouldn't do much more then sink, sadly." He shrugged his shoulders "It is why we bathed and 'swam' in oil on Cybertron. It's closer to our density then your water." He noted.

"You bathed in oil?" Aaron questioned, Bumblebee simply nodded "Primus, I should be thankful that I was born on _EARTH_. I'd be dirty all the time on Cybertron." He joked.

"Yes I suppose you would have been."

Bumblebee mused on the thought of Aaron being born on Cybertron for a moment. It would have been impossible, being they had a different atmosphere. Whether or not the humans could have breathed their atmosphere was, in many ways, uncertain however. Aaron, being half Cybertronian could easily have breathed despite the atmosphere, as Cybertronian's could, but it was uncertain of if his Mother would have. He cringed at the thought of Aaron's Mother a bit, still unhappy with the fact the woman had abandoned Aaron, even if he had left. He still found it wrong, heck, he found what he had done wrong as well, if not even more wrong. "I'm not even positive you'd have been able to be born on Cybertron, however." He told him, frowning "I'm not sure humans could live in the atmosphere."

"Was the atmosphere that much different?"

"No." Bumblebee admitted, he shrugged his shoulders a bit "But we can simply never be sure, considering we never encountered your kind before we came to Earth." He stroked his chin and stared down at Aaron "I'm not certain I have an answer in that sense. It's not much different to us. But it might, perhaps be vastly different to humans." He admitted.

Aaron stared at Bumblebee, cocking an eyebrow, he appeared to be even more confused now. But chose not to voice his confusion to his Father, knowing he was still young, and it had been a question better suited for someone like Optimus or Ironhide. He sighed evenly and sat near the edge of Bumblebee's foot taking a deep breath, he felt the mech lift him into his palm gently. "What could have been though, eh?" He questioned, he stared up at the yellow mech sheepishly "It's kind of fun to think about, if not a bit weird. I can't imagine living on a planet with billions of Giant Robots." He chuckled.

"Mmm, Cybertron was a sight to see." Bumblebee noted, setting Aaron as close to his massive lap as he could manage "It was quite beautiful, and I often miss it. Perhaps, should we ever find a way to restore it, you may see it. Though it will never be the same. Not with so many lost." He commented, a tinge of sadness laden in his voice "I ensure you, however, you would have found it a gorgeous planet to live on. Perhaps, in some ways, moreso then Earth itself." He admitted.

Aaron tried, at least for a moment, to picture a world with more beauty then Earth. It was difficult, perhaps because it was the only planet he had ever truly seen with his own eyes. But he knew that Bumblebee had, and likely would have known much better then himself. He leaned against the mech's chest plate and nodded a bit. "I wish I could have seen it." He admitted "Sounds like it'd have been a sight to see."

They sat there and watched the waves quietly, allowing themselves to enjoy the short time they had together. As quiet as the day was, they knew there were days that would be much different, much less peaceful, and they savored every moment such as this they had.

...

Robbie couldn't believe that his birthday had already come. Had a half a year really passed since he and Magnus had met? When they had met, he had been fourteen for all of six months, now, it was his fifteenth birthday, meaning six months in all had passed. It was a strange thought, but time did seem to fly by fast, he guessed. Taking a deep breath, he stared at himself in the mirror in a way that didn't seem vain, but rather, out of curiosity. He had changed much, in both attitude, and looks. Taller, shorter hair, chiseled features, gone was the scrawny young boy six months ago, replaced by a much happier, growing boy. "Man, barely recognize myself." He muttered.

"Mmm you've grown into a fine young man." Robbie jumped a bit, and turned his head to Magnus, who leaned in the doorway, something in his hands "Mind if I come in for a moment?" He questioned, Robbie shook his head, and his holoform seated itself on his bed "I have questioned myself this month, whether I should give you a quite special gift for your birthday." The boy turned his head in confusion, putting his hands in his pockets "I have other gifts, more usual ones, for you waiting for your party. But this Robert, should be given in a more... Private way." He smiled gently.

"Alright." Robbie made his way to the bed himself, sitting beside Magnus "You're going philosophical on me, so you have my attention." He noted, chuckling a bit.

Magnus handed Robbie the box, it wasn't big, but it wasn't small either, somewhere in the middle. It was wrapped, likely with someone's help, but not for long. Robbie had torn it open within a few moments, as he suspected, it was a small box in the shape of the Autobot shield. "It's gorgeous." Robbie noted, staring at Magnus who smirked "I could use it for storage and-." He began.

"Your gift is not the box Robert, it is what is inside."

Robbie blinked, and looked at the metal box, he shifted a bit, then looked back at him. Magnus nodded, as if to egg him on to open it. Carefully, Robbie moved the lid of the box off and set it on the bed. Inside lay a small necklace, on it, a small orb, which exhibited a blue, glowing substance inside. On the front of it, the Autobot shield nestled on it, it was gorgeous, with a chain link, clearly made for a male. Slowly, he reached in and removed it carefully. "Dad this is... Whoa, what is it?" He questioned, and stared at the mech curiously.

Magnus smiled a bit at the teenager's questioning. His thoughts moving to how to explain the meaning of it to him. On Cybertron, at Robbie's age, a youngling would already be aware of what it was. But as Robbie was not a youngling, and clearly, not aware of Cybertronian customs, he simply smiled. "It is you Syan." Robbie cocked an eyebrow, still confused "On Cybertron, when a youngling turns fifteen vorns, their parent makes one. It has many purposes. We put some of our spark inside, so that when we pass on, if we pass on. You will always have a piece of us with you. But there is much more." He noted "The spark contains are fondest memories, of our own lives, our own... Well, our fondest memories of life." He then added "If I should ever pass in the war, you may open it and see what I left you. But until then it will never open." He noted.

"This is... Amazing." Robbie began, he smiled and hugged Magnus tightly "Thank you."

"Of course." Magnus noted, reaching behind his back he pulled yet another box out "There is more however. And though it may not be a tradition. I wished for you to have it." He stated quietly.

Robbie carefully moved the Syan around his neck linking the chain together, and letting it drop against his chest. It oddly in some ways made him feel even closer to Magnus then he already did, but he supposed it must have been normal. Carefully taking the unwrapped box, it looked the same as the one the Syan came from, though a little larger. He lifted the lid off carefully, and stared down for a moment, carefully reaching in what he removed nearly made his heart stop. A _sword_ his own Cybertronian Blade lay in his hands. It was long, durable, and light, a translucent blue glow in it, though clearly made of Cybertronium. It had a metal handle, with the connecting area to the blade an handle shaped like an Autobot shield.

"Dad, this is..."

"Ironhide told me how much you loved using a blade." Robbie nodded at Magnus's comment "As a youngling, Optimus and my Father passed each of us down a blade. As it is the weapon of the Prime's and we are of that bloodline. Even if it is a title, it is a position one is... Born into, in a sense, as well." He then noted "This was the blade he gave myself, back then I was only a little bigger then you." He smiled proudly as Robbie stared at him, still quite stunned "I hope you will do me the great honor, of allowing me to now pass it down to you." He added.

Robbie nodded a bit, and stared at the blade, then looked at Magnus. "I'd love to but-." He began.

"Press the button on the right."

Robbie stared at Magnus for a moment, but clicked the side of it carefully. The blade shifted, and transformed slowly into the form of a small pocket knife. The button remained on the side, likely for if he chose to transform it back. He stared at Magnus, his eyes wide in shock and awe. "A small modification I had Ratchet make to it. Since our blade do not have a sheathe." Magnus stood, and smiled back at him for a moment 'Now, I expect you in the Rec Room for your birthday in an hour." He winked "Don't make me come get you because you're absorbed in those." He chuckled.

Robbie nodded and smiled carefully at him, as Magnus left he stared over the two gifts Magnus had given him. The fact he had trusted him with something so incredible nearly stunned him to tears. He sighed, and nodded to himself. To think, he had once been worried that Magnus would never be completely happy with him as he wasn't biologically his son. Now, he could honestly say, he had no reason to fear that ever again.


	44. Chapter 44

Dark of the Moon was AMAZING! Blew me away! So glad I got to see it last night!

...**  
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**CHAPTER 44  
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Robbie was never one for parties, especially not exceptionally large ones. But it seemed that when NEST threw a party, they really threw a party. Any cause for celebration truly was something that they appeared to relish in. Robbie sighed a bit, standing near the back of the party as he leaned against a wall. The pocketknife-rather his new sword, sat in the palm of his hand as he bounced it up and down carefully. A hand settled onto his shoulder, and made him jump, though his head shot back to find Dana staring at him. "Happy birthday!" She stated, and they exchanged a friendly hug "Man, for a base filled with Military people, they sure know how to throw one helluva party." She commented.

"You're telling me, I'd expect this when I turned twenty-one maybe. But fifteen? You'd think I'd won the lottery too." Robbie replied, Dana chuckled at him quietly "Hey do you want to see something really awesome?" Dana nodded, Robbie looked around for a moment then pressed the button activating his sword "Epic? Right? It was my Dad's when he was young. His Dad made it for him." Dana's mouth seemed to gape open "He gave it to me, along with this." He held up the necklace "So I guess no one can question my standing in the family anymore." He joked.

"Honestly Robbie, no one questioned it _before_." Dana replied as Robbie pressed the button again and pocketed the more compact form "But either way, the sword is pretty cool. Magnus was telling me about the necklace. Noticed you wearing it earlier, and had to ask." She admitted, taking the orb between two fingers carefully "It's gorgeous, and it's really incredible that all of that memory and spark energy... Could fit inside this little ORB." She noted.

"I know, but it's still pretty awesome." Robbie admitted, then stared at her "Listen Dana, thanks for coming. I mean, I know it was a long drive to the bridge from your place. And it really means a lot to me that you came." He admitted.

Dana smiled, she knew what he meant though she had her own surprise for him. Perhaps a surprise gift that he wasn't expecting, even moreso then what Magnus had given him. She smiled and moved in front of him. "Well, I have an even more awesome present for you." She began, she took his hands carefully into hers and then added "Brock and I broke up." She noted.

A huge mix of emotions swept over Robbie at that moment, she had took his hands and dropped that on him. Was he supposed to be happy? Sad? Assure her that everything would be okay? He decided that he'd best let her make the first move, at least give him an idea. But when she didn't speak, he carefully cleared his throat. "Well I'm sorry to hear that, I mean, he was stupid to break up with you." He shook his head "He has no idea what he's-." He began.

Dana didn't give him even a second to continue, she leaned in and pressed her lips onto his. Robbie could swear that his heart stopped at that moment, he felt weightless, taken aback, and completely stunned. She had just kissed him, she had _kissed_ him on the lips, not on the cheek like before, but a full on kiss. He didn't hesitate to kiss back either, no, he returned it with as much affection and deepness as she had given him. They let go after a minute or two, and smiled at one another. "How's that for a surprise present?" Dana questioned.

Magnus watched the scene between the two from afar, his mouth curved into a smile of approval. Dana was a wonderful girl, and definitely worthy of being his son's girlfriend. And not unlike many human parents, he wanted Robbie to have that kind of person to make him happy in his life. Yet it also, in a way, reminded him, sadly that Robbie was growing up before his very eyes. Even if he was still a freshman, it wouldn't be longer then three years until he likely left the base to enter college. Perhaps at some point he would even marry Dana and have children of his own. But he knew the worries were unwarranted, it was a long way off, and he knew it. For now, he'd simply enjoy watching his son grow, and not even begin to think of missing his son until he had to.

"Mmmm he's growing up." Magnus jumped as Ironhide approached him, a hand on his shoulder "One minute, you're rescuing him from a Foster Home, the next he's fifteen and having his first kiss." The large, burly mech shook his head.

Magnus smiled a bit, and realized just how right Ironhide was, and perhaps that explained his feelings. Magnus didn't want the boy to grow up, to no longer need him someday, it was simple as that. And he couldn't help that feeling. He also, however, at the same time looked forward to seeing that day. To being there for his Graduation, his wedding, to see his wife giving birth. It was a mixed bag of feelings just as it was for every parent. "Yeah, he's growing up." Magnus crossed his arms "But I'm proud to say I'm going to be around to see it." He noted.

"I hear ye." Ironhide nodded a bit "Heard ye got the younglin' your old sword, must've loved that." Magnus nodded a bit "Well I guess ye get the award for best gift of the party. I certainly couldn't top it and I'm the slagging weapons specialist." Magnus chuckled a bit at that comment "So, the question that should be next on yer mind, now that he's got a girlfriend, is when's the wedding?" He teased, Magnus elbowed his old friend gently "Kidding, kidding." The weapon's specialist quickly stated.

Magnus grinned a bit, he crossed his arms, and from afar, watched Robbie and Dana interact. Doing so only subtly, considering he didn't want to be caught spying and get yelled at for doing so. He sighed a bit, and made his way through the crowd toward the other gathered Autobots. He'd talk to Robbie about it all later, after all.

...

Robbie sighed as he collapsed against his bed that night, Syan still around his neck proudly. He sighed a bit, his presents in one corner of the room until he figured out what to do with them. Among them, his favorites were a wrist watch with a built-in GPS from Wheeljack, which he prayed wouldn't blow up in his face. A couple of his favorite video games for the 3DS from Mirage, no surprise there, they both loved video games. Dana's gift, obviously, the kiss, which he was still dizzy from. Both of Magnus's gifts, of course, as well as the new Playstation 3 he gave him with a few games. The list went on, but to keep going may have taken hours.

He sighed happily, and turned over in his bed, looking at the pictures of both sets of his former parents. Both biological and adopted, in a way he wondered if they were watching him right now, and if they were, if they were proud of who he was becoming. If they liked Magnus and how he was raising him, if he made them proud or if they frowned upon the choices he had made. "I hope you guys are proud." He whispered to himself.

"I'm sure they are."

Robbie turned his head as Magnus entered his room carefully. The mech smiled a bit, seating himself beside his bed, he reached a finger out and messed with his son's hair gently. His optics gently curved into a smile as well in their own way. A strange means the Autobot's had, to be able to curve their optics. "Hey there Birthday Boy." Magnus noted, a bit, then sighed a bit "Already worn out from the festivities? Primus I thought teenagers lived for their parties." Robbie chuckled.

"Well, I've never had this big a party before. Maybe small ones. But the one today? Total insanity." Robbie replied, crawling under the covers carefully he stared at Magnus "Next birthday, I'd actually prefer something smaller. I mean, I don't want to look like I have an over-inflated ego." He noted, and thought for a moment "I don't mean that I didn't love it but celebrations this big do overwhelm me, if you know what I mean." He admitted.

Magnus nodded a bit, he understood, though he just wanted a day where Robbie felt important. With all the attention being paid to the Techno-Organics lately, he knew Robbie had been struggling and needed the time to just be appreciated. As odd as it sounded. "Well, it's too bad your Uncle Optimus missed it. Though he told me he got you something in Europe, something he wouldn't even coform in me the identity of." He commented, Robbie cocked an eyebrow "Must be something special, so I hope you don't mind feeling that way for just one more day." He added.

"Hey, Optimus is family, you know I wouldn't push him away." Robbie chuckled to himself, allowing Magnus to smile down at him "You know, though. Now that Dana and I are dating, like I told you. She's going to be hanging out a whole lot more. Around here I mean." He noted, then stared at Magnus, who simply nodded "You don't mind, do you?" He asked, questioningly.

"Of course not, Dana is an ally."

Robbie nodded his head sheepishly, leaning his head against the pillow. He felt Magnus pull the covers slowly over him, and watch him quietly. Magnus hadn't spent a moment like this with his son in so long, far too long. But he swore to himself, he would do so. After all, many of his memories within the Syan included Robbie, first meeting him, first taking him away from the foster home, adopting him, telling him how he was a gift from Primus. There were many other memories, ones that would show Robbie stories of Cybertron he often told him but he could never visualize. Though he hoped that the day never came that he had to open it, if he did, Robbie would see just how much he meant to him, as so many of his fondest, happiest memories were about him.

Taking a deep breath, Magnus leaned in, and laid a gentle kiss upon Robbie's forehead before straightening. "Goodnight my son, happy birthday." He whispered quietly.

As he left, the back of his mind wondered what the next year of his life would bring. But whether it was good or bad, Magnus was confident that Robbie wouldn't face it alone, he knew he wouldn't. He had himself, the other Autobot's kids, and now Dana. And for one reason or another, Magnus knew he'd need all of them in the coming month, how or why, he didn't know. He just prayed that it wouldn't be for what he suspected it might be.


	45. Chapter 45

**CHAPTER 45**

As with every gathering, in the later hours afterward, the younger humans yet again gathered around for old war stories. Robbie had gone to bed, tired, and Dana had left, but many were still awake or around. Among them were Ironhide, Ben, Bumblebee, and Aaron. As usual Aaron avoided Ben, but after learning more about his past, it was more due to the fact that he felt terrible for what he had done. Not that it mattered, as the moment Ironhide seated himself to begin the war story telling, he took his son into his lap or as close as he could get. A seat of honor that no one had seen him give to any previous human. Yet as his son, Ironhide wanted Ben close so that he may have the best seat from which to hear the story.

Bumblebee gave Aaron an equal seat, though not in his own lap, but rather on his shoulder. At Aaron's insistence, as he, unlike Ben, felt that the lap was where little kids belonged most of the time when they weren't alone. It was an odd turn around for Aaron, as during the last gathering, he had felt lonely, and been drinking. Tonight however, he happily sat perched upon his Father's shoulder, a clearly happier young man. He clearly wasn't the only happier person either. It was the first time Aaron had really noticed the change in Ironhide's demeanor, the mech was actually _smiling_ and running a finger along Ben's hair playfully. During the stories, he'd look down at him as if he were a prized possession, or even one of his cannons.

Aaron couldn't help but smile a little at this. After loosing Chromia and being in such a rough mood for so long, it was nice to see Ironhide actually _happier _with his life. "So let me get this straight." Ben suddenly spoke up as Ironhide finished his first story of the night "You took out this dude Lockdown's whole left side?" He commented, a bit stunned.

Ironhide gave a lopsided grin a bit at his Foster Son's stunned tone. It was as if he didn't know him at all, and this was after he saw him beat the crap out of his Father. He stared around, noting the look of surprise on most of the young children's faces. "Yer doubting your old man's ability to kick aft?" Ironhide tickled the boy's stomach gently to which Ben chuckled, and shook his head a bit "Back on Cybertron I'll have you know I was the top fighter in my class!" He noted as the children all stared at him with wide eyes "Yer looking at an Autobot Academy Legend kids." He noted.

Ben chuckled a bit, this was all new to him, and it clearly showed. Aaron sighed a bit, and watched him listen to his Father's stories in awe. He remembered, briefly, when that had been him when he was about seven years old. It had, back then, been Optimus's stories of course, but while he still enjoyed those, he enjoyed Bumblebee's even more these days. He sighed a bit, and leaned against the yellow Autobot's shoulder blade carefully. "I remember my first time at these things." He mentioned, and stared at Bumblebee who smirked lightly "It's kinda funny, you know? Thinking back that far." He added.

"Mmm you used to love it." Bumblebee noted, patting his son on the leg gently "I think I'll give Ironhide the floor today, he's trying to impress his kid." He stared at Aaron, who blinked a bit "You want to for a drive or something? Or are you cool with staying around here?" He questioned.

Aaron looked thoughtful for a moment, unsure as to how to answer that. He crossed his arms a bit, and stared back at Bumblebee. "I could go for a drive, as long as we don't go far." He replied, thinking for a moment "I mean, after all, it's getting late. And isn't that normally when that Barricade dude makes his rounds?" His Father tensed up at the name "Oh yeah, sorry, forgot, his name is taboo." He chuckled nervously.

"No you're right, we'll only go out for an hour." Bumblebee nodded his head and stood to make his way out of the base, carefully entering out into the still night air "Quite a lot of stars out tonight, should be quite a good night to go out for a drive." He noted, as he transformed around Aaron, settling him in his passengers seat as the seatbelts wrapped around him "If I see you trying to scoot into my driver's side and take control we're not doing this again." He noted.

Bumblebee drove down toward the still opened, at least for now, Space Bridge, entering it slowly. They appeared through it in Tranquility, as usual. He would have gone to DC, but rather then spend some time with Sam and Carly, he felt it would be nicer to simply spend alone time with Aaron. Aaron sighed a bit as they began to drive, leaning against his Father's seats, he looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hey Dad, can I ask you a question?" He asked quietly.

"Of course."

"If you had to do it over again, would you have... You know, gone back for me?"

Bumblebee nearly froze at the question, it took him quite a bit aback. But he always had known the question would be asked, he just had to give it time. It was a hard question to answer, since he had spent the latter part of his time on Earth, and Aaron's childhood protecting Sam. And though he only met Aaron when he was seven, it had been hard, even then, watching him grow up from afar. Missing his first words, his first steps, changing his diapers, the third option not being nearly as exciting, yet he still wished he had been there for it. "Yes." Bumblebee finally settled upon the answer "I would have Aaron. Every day, I admittedly _regret_ not being there for your childhood. Even if I couldn't have had you, I would have tracked you down and watched over you as I did with Sam." He admitted.

"You regret it?"

Bumblebee stopped on the side of the road, in disbelief of what Aaron had just asked him. "Of course I regret it Aaron! Primus, for those seven years before you arrived at NEST I often wondered what became of you." He said, as if hurt by Aaron's questioning "Primus Aaron, when I saw you for the first time. Alive, happy, with such good parents was probably the happiest moment in my years on Earth." His engine rumbled in a gentle sigh "Sam always wondered of my overprotective nature. But it was because of you. When we have children, sparklings, it kicks in a part of our programming that heightens our protective nature." He noted.

"That... Explains so much." Aaron admitted, he crossed his arms a bit and looked out the window "Sorry for bringing it up, I know it bothers you. I just... There are times I wonder." He took a deep breath "I know I was a mistake after all." He added.

A gentle hand laid itself on Aaron's shoulder he turned his head towards Bumblebee's holoform quietly. The firm look in his eyes said a great deal about things, that Bumblebee did not like what he just heard. Of all the times he thought about how Aaron came to be, he did not think of it as a mistake, never once. "Aaron, you are no mistake. You were an unexpected factor, but _never _let me hear you call yourself a mistake." Bumblebee said, his voice and facial features firm "I love you very much Aaron, you are one of the greatest things I have done right in my life. In fact, son, you top the list." He added, honestly.

"M-Me?" Aaron turned his head "But, you're an Autobot there must be better things you've done then having _me_."

Bumblebee shook his head slowly, his eyes stared deep into Aaron's he smiled gently. "Aaron, I-." Headlights skidding forward grabbed Bumblebee's attention at once "GET DOWN!" He stated.

No time to try and transform without hurting him, Bumblebee realized, he shot Aaron out his door, the boy rolled along the road as Bumblebee moved to swerve. The cruiser slammed into his side and sent him rolling before Bumblebee had the chance to Transform. Aaron's eyes widened, horrified as Bumblebee landed, bashed up, beaten, but alive, but on his hood. One of his doors had been taken clean off while the other hung by a hinge, his windshield was smashed in, and his paint practically shredded. "DAD!" Aaron began a quick bolt, but his eyes widen as the sound of a transformation sounded behind him.

The creature that stood behind him was only a bit bigger then his Father. Large, white and black, 'police' written along the back parts, several sets of red optics on either side of his face. It grinned baring massive fangs, Barricade stared down at the young organic. Aaron backed up slowly, against Bumblebee's form. "A-Aaron... RUN." Bumblebee managed to breath out before he fell into stasis lock.

Aaron wasn't sure what to do, he was rooted on spot in shock and fear. But his brain won him over, Aaron kicked up a foot and bolted away from Barricade in a hard sprint. Barricade quickly transformed, taking off after his young prey. Megatron didn't want him, that had nothing to do with him, no, this had to do with good old fashioned revenge against Bumblebee. Staring with the damage done to him and ending with the abduction of his little brat. Aaron made his way into the adjacent forest quickly, rushing through the trees, he quickly crouched down against the forest ground, and peered over the bush slowly. The cruiser drove up quickly transforming and standing, his optics scanning around, Aaron kept his head down and let his body tremble in fear.

Barricade saw Aaron at once, but decided to have a little fun first. Walking past him, he kept one set of optics carefully on Aaron who breathed a sigh of relief before spinning around and lashing out a whip, snapping against his face and knocking him to the ground, Aaron screamed in pain. "Nowhere to run son of Bumblebee." He hissed, his claws wrapping their way around the small figure before the teenager even knew what had happened to him.

...

Always planned for 'Cade to eventually try to get some revenge on Bee using Aaron. And realizing I've never left things with a cliffhanger, I felt it was long overdue. ;) Hope I handled it well.


	46. Chapter 46

**CHAPTER 46**

Aaron woke up to his head bleeding and the entire world seemingly spinning. He felt blood in his mouth slightly, which tasted like cotton, and his vision seemed blurred. For a moment, he questioned if he was dead, but quickly realized he could indeed move. By the fact that they were alone, and there was no Decepticon symbols in sight, other then the one on Barricade, who was a few feet away, he knew he wasn't on a Decepticon base. So the question quickly became what in the world Barricade wanted. Revenge, he figured was the likely explanation, but it didn't answer why he was the one he took rather then Sam, who without Bee or 'Jack now drove an old car from what he heard. "Mmm, so it seems I didn't kill you when I abducted you." Barricade hissed from the darkness "Good, good.. You'll do much better to me alive." He noted.

"Where am I?" Aaron groaned as he brought himself to his knees, albeit slowly.

"As if I'd tell you, I know you're Bumblebee's offspring. You'd contact him." Barricade noted, he sneered a bit "All I'll say is you would be smart to get comfortable. You won't be going anywhere for a while." He noted, stalking toward him with chains, he bent down "Arms behind your back, fleshling, or I'll yank them back for you." Aaron quickly did as he was told, feeling as the Decepticon bound his wrists behind his back with his chains "Comfortable?" Aaron glared hard "Good, if you were I'd have to tighten them up a bit.' He shoved Aaron against some crates roughly "Do you know who I am, child?" He questioned.

"Barricade, my Dad tells me all about you. You're even _uglier_ in person." Aaron growled.

"Mind your tongue, or I may rip your little vocal chords out. Just like Megatron did to your Father." Barricade growled, he didn't want to, considering it might kill his prisoner, but he would to shut him up "And if you think I kid, I hope you realize... You are at my mercy here child, no one is coming for you." He noted, glaring at him "I have made certain that your energy signature..." He tapped the side of Aaron's head tauntingly "Is so masked, that no one stands a chance of locating you." He then added "Unless you dare use the creation bond. In which case, you will be dead before you are FOUND." He noted.

"How the hell are you still standing after my Dad took THAT much damage?"

Barricade grinned, continuing to move his claw along Aaron's cheek. The boy looked up at him terrified, and he hadn't even done harm to him yet. He was going to enjoy this, having some one so close to Bumblebee in his clutches. The Witwicky Boy would have been a nice prize, but this was Bumblebee's own child, someone he _knew_ he could use to get Bumblebee to do whatever he wanted. "That's a little secret for me to know and you to guess, my fragile, little trophy." He answered, noting the confusion in Aaron's eyes "What did you think I took you for? Bait? No, I'd let you contact your Father if I wanted that. No, you're my little prize, think of yourself as a TROPHY with which I can show off." He then added "The half-human son of Bumblebee even Megatron himself, could not keep." He noted.

"P-Please, leave me alone." He whispered, body trembling and eyes filled with tears.

"Oh no my little human, that would be easy. It's much more fun to keep you as a trophy of my greatest triumph." Barricade stood and looked around the area they were in "I keep many trophies, from my conquests. From Earth, from various planets." He stared in one cage, where a dog like creature with the teeth of a shark jumped at him, he threw in meat carefully "It's my way of showing off. You could say. Many would call it pet collecting. But pet implies attachment, trophies... No attachment, just there for show. Like a museum." He noted.

Barricade sneered at his captives fear, he enjoyed the fact that he was sentient. He relished in the thought of breaking him, having a creature with thoughts and feelings at his mercy. So many of his trophies were as dumb as Domestic Earth Animals, it was what made Aaron just that much more _special_an addition. "Come on now, you'll be the star display, it's like a zoo. I feed you, clothe you, and all you have to do is what I tell you." He noted, approaching slowly "At least I won't be handling you too much like if you were a pet? You don't even have to wear a collar."

Aaron quickly sent out a sure of energy from his hands aiming it best he could toward Barricade. It missed by an inch and Barricade grinned widely. "Ohhhh, you've got fight in you, do you?" He chuckled evily, optics flashing "Give me an hour, I'll be back with something to make sure you don't try a mean thing like that again." He cackled lowly.

As Barricade exited the room for parts unknown, Aaron felt tears blurr his vision, his body shook violently in response. He was terrified, there was no better way to put it. Barricade had him hostage and he planned to add him to some messed up collection of creatures. He could see it now, little Decepticons, if there were any now, paying Barricade to come to see the little sideshow attractions, including the little human freak. Maybe they had an exchange rate too, he could see it now "The perfect human to complete your collection only on Deceptibay". "Dad, where are you?" He whispered to himself.

Oh God, his DAD, the damage done to him had been bad. It made him even more worried then he was, he could be dead, or dying for all he knew. No one knew where they had been going, and who knew how bad the damage internally had been. He laid his head against the creates, doing his best not to think about it, and prayed to God that he was alive, and coming for him.

...

Bumblebee came to with a numbing feeling all over his body. He could hear hushed, panicked voices all around him, none of them, to his dismay belonging to Aaron. His optics onlined, he was on a medical berth, his body good as new, but feeling weak and dizzy. "A-Aaron..." He managed to breathe out as the voices surrounded him, and became only one, saying his name "Primus, where's Aaron!" He found himself panicked as he remembered exactly what had happened.

Optimus stood near the edge of the berth as his oldest son panicked, carefully setting a hand on his chest. Bumblebee turned his eyes toward his Father for hopeful confirmation, or at the very least some nod to tell him Aaron was okay. That he was safely on base and Barricade hadn't managed to abduct him in the time he had been in stasis lock. Instead, Optimus looked him softly in the optics, and shook his head. "We're looking for him son, please, relax." Optimus stated, quietly, trying to calm him down "We received your distress call just as Barricade was speeding off. We didn't catch him in time." He shook his head "Ironhide, Mirage, and Wheeljack have been searching all night." He added.

"I need to be out there, I need to be looking."

"Bumblebee, my son, you sustained major injuries. It will do you no good to hurt yourself, nor will it do Aaron any good." Optimus told him quietly, Bumblebee visibly shook "Please Bumblebee, you need to relax."

Bumblebee stared at Optimus like he had lost his mind. His _son_ was now in the hands of his worst enemy, a mech who wanted to kill him. How in the world could he relax right now? It wasn't possible to relax when Aaron could have been lying dead somewhere for all he knew. "Barricade took AARON and you expect me to calm down Prime?" Bumblebee said, as calmly as he could, given the situation "Primus, he hit me so hard. I didn't... I couldn't even transform. I couldn't do anything to protect him." He said quietly.

"We're going to find him son." Optimus told the young mech quietly "Barricade could not have gotten far. He has avoided work with the Decepticons among Megatron as of late. That we know. It is likely he will not be difficult to find." He looked at Bumblebee, noting the pain in his optics "If you are feeling better tomorrow, I promise, I will allow you to join them. But right now, you just came out of surgery, young one." The concern in Optimus's eyes was evident "We weren't sure you would even make it." He admitted.

"I need to be out there _**NOW**_." Bumblebee replied, feeling energon roll down his cheekplate "It's my fault he was in that mess. I should never have taken him out at twelve without back-up. Barricade had the advantage and I knew it." He shook his head slightly.

Optimus leaned back, truly feeling for Bumblebee at the moment. He wasn't about to lie either, Aaron being his Grandson, he felt nothing but fear for the child's life. But a part of him knew that he wouldn't kill Aaron, the boy was too valuable to Barricade alive. He wanted revenge on Bumblebee, that much was obvious, and he couldn't do that with his dead son, which would likely only end with his own demise. "Son, please... I am going out now that I know you're fine. If I hear anything, you have my word you will be the first to know." Optimus said in a low voice, and stared at Bumblebee carefully "You are not the only one concerned son, when I heard Aaron was taken and you were in surgery. I told the Prime Minister the situation and left." He said honestly "You forget, he's my Grandson just as much as he is your son." He added.

Bumblebee frowned, but managed to smile a bit. It was just like Optimus to put his family before his duty at times. Never in times of war, of course, or in a battle, but in such a situation as this, he would gladly blow off the Prime Minister. Though he was certain by then they had finished their negotiations, that was certain and he knew it. "Alright... Please, bring him home Prime... Bring him home safely." He muttered.

"I will."

As Optimus left Bumblebee laid his head against the berth, and let his mind wander. It was the only way he could keep himself from continuing to panic. So help him Primus, he'd be out of that berth the next day, and when he found Barricade, he'd rip him a new one. That is, if Optimus didn't get to him first.


	47. Chapter 47

**CHAPTER 47**

Ben knew he could have helped NEST, being a genius, and knowing the Decepticons well. The question was why he didn't, why he couldn't bring himself to say anything about it. Though the reasons were obvious, he didn't know the first thing about Cybertronian technology. His area of expertise was _only_ human technology, and no amount of time around Decepticon holoforms could have changed that. That was perhaps the reason he felt so useless, all that time unknowingly around that group and he wasn't any more help then a human completely uninvolved in the war. It didn't help that Ironhide was out there, risking his neck to find Aaron and it tended to greatly worry him.

A hand gently rested upon his shoulder and Ben turned his head to find it belonged to Robert Epps. He didn't know the man well, besides one or two times he had been to the Lennox home for dinner, but he still nodded and smiled in acknowledgement. "You really seem tense over here kid. Relax, I'm sure Ironhide's fine." He noted, and stared at the boy, who only nodded slightly "Not to mention I'm pretty sure knowing Aaron, he's giving Barricade a run for his money." He added.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you're right about Aaron." Ben admitted, he put his hands in his pockets slightly "I'm just worried about Dad's temper more then that. He's been on edge since he ran into... You know who the other day." He turned his eyes toward the Master Sergent with a frown "I'm really worried he'll end up letting his anger get the better of him. And get hurt." He shook his head a bit "Optimus should have known better to have let him do that. It's only been a week." He added.

"You don't give your old man enough credit Ben." Epps commented, a bit surprised at how worried for someone like _Ironhide_ the teen was "The mech took a blast that took out half his shoulder plate in Egypt and still got up and fought." He told him flatly "Toughest person, Autobot or human I know." He added.

Ben stared at Epps slowly, he supposed he had a point, Ironhide was quite tough. Well he supposed that was quite the understatement, considering he had beat his Father half-to-death twice without a second thought. That alone took guts, even for a giant robot, considering he worked with Megatron, and it could have somewhat-dangerous consequences. He took a deep breath and nodded at the man. "I guess you're right, but I always worry when he's out doing this stuff. I know how dangerous this all is, and..." He bit his lip a bit, and took a deep breath "The last thing I want is to be the guy who one day is waiting for his Dad to come home. Only to be... You know." He didn't quite finish his sentence.

"I get it man, we all do, just relax alright. It's four of them against one Decepticon." Epps smirked a bit "It'll be hard to loose him just from _that_." He added.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Almost on cue, a space bridge opened near the edge of the hangar, as the Autobots returned. Ben frowned as he noted that none of them let a human passenger out, signifying that they had yet to find Aaron. He took a deep breath, and made his way over to Ironhide as he drove to his part of the hangar, transforming carefully. He had been attacked, that much was obvious as he had a few scratches. "Figures Barricade would be using drones since that little glitch Frenzy was offlined." Ironhide grumbled, and turned toward Ben as he approached "You should be in bed youngling. It's nearly... Primus. Ten in the morning Earth time? Were we out that late?" He asked, exasperated.

"I've been up since like, six this morning. I was worried." Ben admitted, and stared up at Ironhide "Didn't bang you up too much, did they?"

"Nah, it's gonna take a lot more then a few mindless drones to do real damage to me." Ironhide replied firmly and proudly, brushing away some particles of dust from his armor plating "Your constant concern for my well-being is unneeded, son. It takes a great deal more to bring us down then a human." He scooped Ben up gingerly and set the boy on his usual perch in the crook of his right shoulder "If anything, being yer the fragile being of the two of us, I should be the one worrying about _you_." He told him with a small wink of his good optic.

"Sorry, I'm still getting used to that." Ben chuckled nervously, Ironhide nodded a little "So, I take it you guys didn't get within three feet of Barricade then?"

Ironhide growled a bit at that, it was all the answer Ben needed. When Ironhide was that angry, it usually said that he had failed at something important, which was far from often. It wasn't that Ironhide wasn't easily frustrated anyway, it's just a growl usually said a thought enraged him. Or that he had been lubricated, or worse, purged on, one of the two. The only exception had been when Ben had gotten sick a while back, and managed to do so to him. Though he was positive Ironhide had been thankful they had been near a waste bucket he could 'purge' in, because heaven forbid his robot mode be damaged even more. Ben was thankful that had been a one time thing, because in truth he never wanted to see the look of horror and his painful attempt to contain anger that Ironhide had again.

"The slagger was too smart for us. He didn't even have Aaron with him." Ironhide told him, finally breaking the silence between them "Chances are he's holding him somewhere obvious, the problem being we don't know where he frequents." He stared at Ben with a sigh "He's a very shifty Decepticon, and one that has mostly been under our radars. At least, he had been until now." He explained.

Ben felt horrible for Optimus and Bumblebee at the moment, knowing both must have been worried sick. If Barricade was that far under the radar, heaven knew where he had taken Aaron off to, he could be off planet for all anyone knew. "I guess this is what you meant by the dangers of living with you guys." Ben noted as they began to walk down the hangar "When are you guys going out again?" He questioned.

"As soon as we can, hopefully, pinpoint where Barricade was headed." Ironhide noted, he eyed Ben slightly "Don't worry, we aren't about to give up on Aaron. If there's one thing we don't do, it's abandon one of our own. No matter how hopeless a situation seems we'll do everything we can to help a member of our faction." He noted, nodding a bit "Including yerself, Aaron, and the other kids." He tensed at the thought of Ben ever ending up in Decepticon hands "Slag, if it were you out there, I wouldn't even be here right now. I'd be tearing up every Decepticon base to find you." He admitted.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Ben chuckled.

"Because yer my son, that's why. Primus, you and Annabelle, if the Decepticons ever..." Ironhide calmed himself, knowing how enraged the thought was liable to make him "When I get close to someone, Ben, I take it very seriously. You and Annabelle are as close to my spark as humanly possible." He noted, taking a deep breath "But even though Aaron and the others aren't as close as that, they still have places in there as well. Which is why I feel the need to protect them." He noted, then stared at Ben "So I appreciate your concern for my well being son, but I do this because I care for the lot of you. Not because it's my duty." He admitted "I'd gladly give my spark for any one of you." He admitted.

"You would...?"

Ironhide noted his poor choice of words there, though he meant it in a good way. He would gladly give his spark for nearly any of his human friends. Heck, for Ben, he'd take a blast right to the spark if it meant he got the chance to live a full life. Ironhide was an older Autobot, he wouldn't lie and say he wasn't. If he died in order to save someone who had yet to live even close to a full life, he'd gladly do so. "It would not be my first choice to die. And I _never_ plan to." Ironhide told him honestly "But if I had to, if it was between my life and yours for example, you'd best believe I would." He admitted.

Ben listened to what Ironhide said intently, and perhaps grasped a better understanding of his thought process. Ironhide was the type of soldier who knew he was older, knew he had lived a good, long life, and if his time came, then so be it. But he was also the type that would rather go down fighting to protect those he cared about, or even moreso, loved, then, say, from a spark attack. And in a way, Ben was thankful to have someone like that for a Father. Someone who loved him enough that he would give his life to protect him. Whereas Ryan, for example, would rather get high with his buddies then spend so much as an afternoon with him. "You really are one big teddy bear underneath all that armor plating, you know that." He joked lightly.

"Yeah, and if you tell anyone, I'll deny it." Ironhide joked right back.

They rounded a corner carefully, moving towards the medical bay, where several Autobots were being worked on. Bumblebee had since recovered, and seemed to simply be waiting for them to head out again. Ironhide knew that they'd be waiting, but he was positive he couldn't say the same for Bumblebee. After all, among them, he had the most at stake with his son in the claws of his worst enemy. "Hey kid." Ironhide set a hand on his young friend's shoulder plate "Good to see you up and about again." He noted, not bothering to ask how he was holding up, which had an obvious answer.

"Thanks 'Hide."

It was all the response from the yellow mech he got, but he hadn't expected much more. Bumblebee was the kind of mech that wasn't happy unless he knew those close to him were safe and sound. He had been this way on only one other occasion, when a few years back, Sam had been taken by Barricade. Though this was exceptionally worse considering Aaron was his flesh and energon. "Don't worry too much kid." Ironhide told him, an honest look in his optics "We're gonna find him and bring 'im home. You have my word." He added.

He could only hope that the more Bumblebee heard it, perhaps, the more likely he was to believe it.


	48. Chapter 48

**CHAPTER 48**

Bumblebee felt exhausted, physically and mentally drained. The more they searched, it seemed as though they were no closer to finding Aaron then when they had started. He tried, multiple times to contact him through the bond, but he got nothing. He knew Barricade was threatening him to keep him from replying, that much was obvious. He knew that Barricade hated him, but to do this, to take his son and do whatever he was doing was sick. Bumblebee hated the Decepticon, but he would never have attacked his child, if the slagger had any. It was taking the battle to an absolute low.

He leaned against the wall to Aaron's room silently, it had been two days into the search, and yet, nothing. He could feel his heart, it was still beating, he was still out there and alive, but he didn't know where. It was a good question, where would Barricade take him that they weren't looking? Most likely in plain sight, but where? When he had once taken Sam, he had been taken to, of all places, the Lookout, as stupid as it sounded. That time, Barricade had wanted to be found to lure Bumblebee into a trap. This time however, he didn't want to be found, that much was extremely obvious. "Primus Aaron, where are you?" He whispered to himself.

"No luck, huh?"

Bumblebee practically jumped at the voice before he realized it belonged to Ben. He didn't know the boy well, beyond his abusive past he had heard about, and that he was Ironhide's foster son, but he still gave a friendly smile toward him. Though it was forced, given the circumstances. "No, sadly, not." He said as he let a frown cross his lips "It is nothing you should worry about though." He then noted "Isn't it really late for you to be out here?" He questioned.

"I'm getting home schooled, not like I have to be somewhere tomorrow." Ben shrugged his shoulders "Besides I'm worried about Aaron. I mean, I don't know him well, but I know first-hand how messed up the Decepticons can be." He admitted quietly, he put his hands in his pockets slightly "I'm sorry, I know you probably wanna be alone. But I saw you here, and I figured you... It was stupid." He began.

Ben began to leave but Bumblebee only sighed a bit. "You're Ben, right? Ironhide's kid?" Bumblebee chose to question, Ben turned his head with a nod "You don't have to worry about being concerned for me. The whole world isn't like that man who raised you. I thank you for your concern." He noted, putting his hands on his hips and turned his head "Does Ironhide at least know you're here though?" Another nod "Good, I'd rather not get in trouble with your Father, if you catch my drift." He noted.

Ben actually chuckled at Bumblebee's joke, the mech was funny, something he heard often. Though he knew Bumblebee was just being nice, because at the moment, it was clear he was going through a very rough time. But he guessed what the others said about Bumblebee was true, he was a kind mech who tried to be friendly no matter the situation. "I wish I could be more help. I mean, my Dad worked wit them, but I never knew a 'Barricade'." He admitted, Bumblebee only nodded slightly "Then again, according to Dad, they used a lot of... Well, aliases other then Megatron, when they were around me." Bumblebee tilted his head curiously "But I suppose that wouldn't help." He added.

"Not unless one dressed as a police officer."

That seemed to strike a huge chord in Ben, who's eyes shot up to Bumblebee immediately. "You're talking about BASTION KING? That's Barricade?" He questioned, completely taken aback by Bumblebee's revelation "If that's who you're looking for, I can show you where he is. I've been outside his 'house' like twelve times." Bumblebee just stared stunned "He was like my Dad's go-to guy for EVERYTHING, I'm not lying." He added.

Bumblebee crouched low to Ben, and stared him in the eyes, the look was all he needed. He knew Ben had been telling the truth, and it made things just that much easier. Immediately, he transformed throwing open the passengers side door. Ben climbed in and allowed Bumblebee to buckle him in. "Ironhide never learns I let you do this." He made this fact perfectly clear "You'll show me where he 'lives', and when I go in you'll lay LOW. Even if you follow me in." He noted "I can't risk him taking you back to your Dad." He commented.

"Aye aye captain."

...

It took several hours to reach where Ben had told Bumblebee to go. Bumblebee almost thought Ben had lied, but sighed with relief when they finally reached it. It was a large, sprawling, building that could have passed for a mansion, if it didn't have a Transformer-sized door. Bumblebee eyed Ben, who seemed to tense up at the sight of it, but simply set a hand on his shoulder, or rather finger. "Don't worry Ben, we'll get in, get Aaron and get out, he won't touch you." He noted, knowing full well that was likely what he feared "Have you ever been inside?" He questioned.

"No."

Bumblebee frowned that meant right off the bat this would be hard. They were both going blindly into Barricade's lair. He took a deep breath, sighing a bit, he knew he had to call in back-up but he didn't want to be chewed out by Ironhide for taking his son without back-up in the first place. "Well then, looks like I'm comming for back-up. Primus knows Ironhide's going to murder me, but not about to put us both in their blindly." He noted with a groan.

"Are you crazy!" Ben stated, and stared at Bumblebee "I'll be grounded until I leave for college!"

"Yes, and if anything happens to you I'll be back in the med bay for worse damages." Bumblebee replied bluntly, and stared at Ben "I risked my son's safety and he was abducted because of it. I'm not doing the same to a kid that's been through enough with these slaggers already." He stated, firmly, and stared Ben in the eyes, taking a deep breath "Please, understand my reasoning. I don't want to risk another innocent kid." He explained.

Ben stared at Bumblebee but nodded in obvious understanding. He had been gone a while, and Ironhide was probably worried sick as is. On top of this it was likely he'd be understanding, considering he had done this wit the best intentions. "You're right we should-." Ben's eyes widened as something swooped toward him, gripping his arms and lifting him "What the frag!" He shouted.

Bumblebee quickly aimed his cannon, blasting the aerial drone out of the sky and catching Ben. Quickly transforming around him, he drove around toward a dark side of the building. Ben's eyes widened as he watched out the window. Two other drones flew overhead, scanning the area, they stopped for a moment, but flew through an opening in the roof. "What the hell were those things?" Ben said, breathing in slowly.

"Drones. Barricade's specialty, kinda like that Frenzy we talk about, except other then him... Most of them work on a hive mind." Bumblebee noted, being quiet about it "I should have known they'd be here from what happened to the others two days ago." He growled quietly "More then likely, he saw you with me through one of them, and recognized you. Slag, we're in deep pit now." The mech inwardly cursed himself.

"We need to comm Dad."

"Aaron would be dead by the time they came."

Bumblebee felt Ben tremble in his seats, he knew what he was thinking. Barricade would find them if they went in, take him, and return him to Ryan. But inwardly, Bumblebee swore to himself that he would _not_ let that happen. The main problem was that he didn't have a plan, no way of getting in, or out, or even knowing what to expect when they got inside. "Ben, relax, I won't let you go back there, alright? I'll get us and Aaron out of this." Bumblebee tried to comfort the boy as best he could, activating his holoform and gently resting a hand on his shoulder "But you need to trust me, alright?" He questioned.

"I do..." Ben told him honestly "I just never thought... I just..." He looked down "It's my fault if he's dead. I shouldn't have let you go without back-up."

"How would you know, kid? If anything it was MY fault for not thinking straight." Bumblebee groaned, his thoughts straying a bit "Are you sure you've never been in here? Not even once?" Ben stared at him and blinked, looking deep in thought "Think Ben, if you were I'd know what wall to burst through. If I do that, it's just an easy in and out." He noted.

Ben thought hard, had he been in the mech's house before? He doubted it, he would have remembered those massive doors, after all. But then again, they could generate holograms, and perhaps he had made an illusion of the doors being human sized. That was doubtful, however, as he would have noticed something, he was sure of it. He shook his head slightly. "I don't know Bee, I don't frickin' remember!" He stated, getting frustrated with himself.

"Relax Ben, just relax. Think hard."

Ben took deep breaths, allowing Bumblebee to rub his back in comfort. He tried to think back. And then it hit him, it had been a year ago, Ben had to go with him because school had been out for the summer. It suddenly hit him that he had indeed been in Barricade's home and gotten lost in it between ninety percent of the strange passages it had. But he had found and stopped him before he went into one in particular. "Once, I went in there once and there was a room he stopped me from going in. That HAS to be where he has Aaron." Ben told him quietly "I don't remember the room, but it was on the east end and the door was like.. Sci-Fi ish Starship Enterprise stuff." He added.

"In ENGLISH Ben."

"It moved automatically and retracted into the doorway." Ben told him, in much simpler terms, Bumblebee made a mental note of that "Are we seriously going in there WITHOUT back-up?" He questioned.

A canon rotated its way out of Bumblebee's hood, and took aim at the wall. "Hang onto something." He noted.

With one blast of the cannon and rev of the engine, Bumblebee was careening his way down the hallway. Ignoring the blaring alarms, Bumblebee wasted no time in making his way toward the East End. Now he had to just pray that he wasn't already too late.


	49. Chapter 49

Raissa: Thank you SO much for pointing the mistake in Chapter 18 out to me, total fail on my part. :) Should be fixed up and all now though.

...**  
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**CHAPTER 49**

The fact he was applying for a job at Custom Cycles was already strange. But it was even stranger that Mikaela Banes had told Robbie to come in so late. Then again, Custom Cycles closed at a late hour so in a way, it made sense. He guessed he should been thankful that she was offering him a job at all. But then again, he had Bumblebee to thank, he had put in a good word for him. It wasn't that he needed money for a lot, but now that he was dating Dana, he had to make money for dates somehow. On top of this, it was a way to get out of the chaos surrounding Aaron's situation, not that he wasn't concerned, he really was. He just needed to escape the chaos for a few hours.

"So you're Bee's adopted cousin, right?" Mikaela questioned as she led Robbie into the main room "Funny, kinda expected you to be an Autobot. Almost forgot the whole big deal everyone seemed to make over the human kid situation a few months back." She commented, and stared at Robbie "Well at least we won't have to worry about your holoform suddenly acting up or whatever." She joked, Robbie chuckled a bit "So how good are you with bikes, exactly? Any experience?" She questioned.

"My first adopted Dad was big on them. He taught me the basics of working on them while I was growing up." Robbie answered honestly, he shrugged his shoulders a bit, and made note of how, less-then-impressed she looked "And by basics, I mean I can repair these things. But I don't know how to customize them. But I'm definitely willing to learn." He smiled, trying to make the best first impression he could.

Mikaela pursed her lips, deep in thought. The boy was young and inexperienced, but at the same time she did like that he hadn't given up. They had been talking for a little over two hours and he seemed to be willing to learn most things. Considering they did need the extra help, she was thankful Bumblebee had sent someone like that. "Well, you're definitely better then ninety percent of the other applicants I've seen this week." She admitted, sitting on a stool "You've got the job, you'll work Saturday and Sunday, nine to five, no questions asked though. Those are the slots we need the most help with." She noted.

"Thanks so much Mikaela." Robbie took a deep breath "I swear, you won't regret this!" He commented as she nodded a bit.

Robbie quickly waved goodbye, Mikaela smiled a bit at this. If he had reminded her any more of Sam, she would swear fifteen years had passed and he had had a kid. It made her chuckle a bit, the actual thought of that, but she let the thought go.

...

Robbie headed out the door, and made his way calmly towards the waiting forms of Mirage and Dana. He grinned widely with a fist pump in the air that caused Dana to smile widely. "Well, well, I take it somebody got the job?" Dana questioned, they kissed briefly and Robbie grinned "Well then, I guess we can finally go on that proper date you've been promising." She noted with a grin.

"Hey lovebirds." The Italian accented sports car stated, noting them moving towards his hood "Not on top of me, capiche?"

Robbie rolled his eyes a bit at his guardian, he loved Mirage like an older brother but he could be such a buzzkill. Robbie sighed inwardly as his phone almost on cue rang. He stared down and answered. "Ironhide? Whoa, stop yelling, what's going on? No I haven't seen either of them. I was at a job interview, remember?" Robbie commented, Dana stared at him, concern filled her features "No neither were with me, I've been with Dana and Mirage all day." He added, his eyes widened "Relax, okay Ironhide? We'll look for him, we know where he'd hang out and I'm sure he dragged Bee somewhere." He noted.

"What's going on?"

Robbie hung up the phone, and turned towards Dana, and Mirage who had transformed by that point. "Ben and Bee are missing. Ironhide says he's been trying to get a hold of them for hours but isn't getting anything." He took a deep breath, and looked at Dana "You knew him before I met him. Do you have _any_ idea where he would hang out or go if he was upset? Anything?" He questioned.

"We're only lab partners Robbie, it's not like we're best friends." Dana noted, setting her hands in her pockets, she shook her head "But don't you find it odd? Ben's gone right after Aaron got kidnapped, WITH Bumblebee. He obviously led Bumblebee where he thinks Aaron might be, and unless Barricade..." Her eyes widened, and turned to Robbie "Unless Barricade made him go somewhere he knew he'd find. And it was a trap to get him back." She noted.

Robbie stared at Dana with wide eyes, he shook his head a bit. He knew Dana was right, it made sense, grab Aaron, get revenge on Bumblebee, use it to lure Ben to wherever it was, and take him. He shook his head slightly. "Alright, that explains this whole fragging situation. But the question is why they want him, and where the slag they lured them." He commented, he shook his head a bit, then turned to Mirage "You can scan for abnormal areas, right? It's as easy as THAT?" He questioned.

"Not exactly easy, but I can try." Mirage stood still for a few moments "UFO spotted about four miles west of here." He morphed down into Ferrari form quickly, opening both doors "Get in, and call Ironhide immediately." He noted.

...

The hallways were as dark and twisted as Ben remembered them to be. Even if his memories of it were vague at best. Bumblebee had ceased driving, and they both walked side-by-side, keeping to the shadows of the hallway. Every door looked almost the exact same, much to Bumblebee's dismay, which seemed to make this whole thing a whole lot less easy. Ben kept his breathing as quiet as he could, feeling a sense of dread within him that he couldn't explain. A part of him, however small, knew that there was something very wrong about all of this, and normally, when Ben had a hunch, he wasn't normally too far off. "Ben, relax." Bumblebee noted quietly "I need you to concentrate."

"I'm trying Bee, but something about this doesn't feel right." Ben admitted, he stared up at the yellow mech with a slight frown "I don't like the fact that this whole things seems too easy. We both know him, Bee, when has Barricade ever made finding ANYTHING valuable to him this easy?" Bumblebee's optic ridge furrowed, clearly he saw Ben's point "We could be walking into a trap, think about it. He knows I know where he lives, he hopes I'll tell you. He gets to try and destroy you and take me to my Dad..." He shook his head a bit "Two birds, one stone." He added.

Bumblebee froze dead in his tracks, Ben was right, this was too easy. Barricade was crafty and smart, and what Ben had just said Bumblebee could easily see Barricade planning out. Perhaps from the very beginning, perhaps not, but the point was that as of now, it was likely exactly what he had planned. "You always were a smart one Ben." Bumblebee spun around as Barricade stood near the end of the hallway, fangs bared in a grin "I was so hoping that for once, you'd be too scared to figure it out." He watched as Bumblebee put a foot in front of Ben protectively "Please? You think you're going to protect him? The boy is all I want Bumblebee, all I needed was a way for you to deliver him to me." He grinned wickedly.

"I'm leaving here with both children Barricade." Bumblebee noted coldly, he activated his hand cannon with a whir "Where the slag is my son!"

Barricade grinned, activating his own weapon and swinging it like a whip at Bumblebee who barely managed to dodge. Barricade lunged forward at Bumblebee in a tackle, Ben quickly spun around and bolted away. Knowing that if he hadn't Bumblebee would have made him do so. The hallways seemed endless, but Ben didn't look back, even as he could hear the struggle taking place behind him. He skidded to a stop at the end of the longer hallway. But not by his own choice, a tail lashed out, smacking into his back and knocking him down. "Helllloooo Benjamin." He turned his head to the bird like creature by him.

Lazerbeak stood with his back arched, much bigger then the young teenager. Normally an assassin, this time, the Decepticon knew he needed him alive, he had only one objective, to snatch the brat and return him to the Decepticons. As Ben attempted to get up and run for it, Lazerbeak knocked him violently back against the wall, pinning him by the arms with his claws. "You're not going anywherrreee Benjamin." Lazerbeak hissed, gripping harder around his wrists "Except for a little _**RIDE**_." He added coldly.

Ben screamed as he was lifted from the wall, and Lazerbeak shot out of the celling, taking a chunk of the roof with him. They hadn't even gotten a foot off the roof when a blast clipped Lazerbeak's wing, it let out a fierce croak, in the shock, he dropped the prisoner. Ben landed hard against the roof, attempting to back up slowly. "Get away from my son!" He heard a rough familiar voice snarl as Lazerbeak slowly stalked forward.

Ironhide with grace Ben didn't even know he had lept from the ground below and right in front of him. The Autobot looked to be sheathing with rage, his cannons out and pointed for Lazerbeak. Ben could clearly see the rage in his optics, and it was such an unusual sight for him that it actually scared him. "That is Decepticon PROPERTY." Lazerbeak barked back, Ben's eyes widened, almost expecting something more shocking then what came "We own his Father, and we own HIM. He is our spy, stayyyyy out of my way!" He noted.

Ironhide fired one of his cannons straight at Lazerbeak, who barely managed to dodge it. He jettisoned into the air, considering trying yet again. Lazerbeak watched carefully, and took off between Ironhide's legs activating razor wings, he sliced the sides of Ironhide's legs before gripping Ben, hard, and taking off faster then Ironhide could blink. "DAD!" Ben shrieked, he struggled.

"Ben, no!"

Ironhide turned, aiming with his cannons, but it was no use. Lazerbeak was too far off, and any shot he dared to fire could have easily hit Ben if he was off even by a centimeter. Quickly, panicked, Ironhide got on the comm. "We have a situation! Lazerbeak has taken BEN! I've taken damage to my legs, and the fragging buzzard took off with him!" He shouted, anger rising in him.

_"Noted Ironhide, I have a visual. Beginning pursuit."_ Optimus replied.

Ironhide could feel his spark beating uncontrollably, he had lost Chromia, but Primus forbid, he was _not_ loosing Ben too. Leaping off the roof with all of his might, and transforming, Ironhide quickly began a quick pursuit of Lazerbeak as he mentally cursed himself for even letting it happen.


	50. Chapter 50

Paya Luna: They left on bad terms, as-per the book. She is however still friends with Bee as the last chapter implied. But you'll learn more about it in later chapters. I'm trying to keep this as canon as possible, even with the use of OCs. :) Plus I'm a SamxCarly shipper, so I'd say Mikaela was more frustrated/flustered thinking of Sam in the last line of her scene last chapter.

...**  
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**CHAPTER 50**

Taking Ben had been easy, but Lazerbeak was quickly realizing keeping the organic still was difficult. Optimus Prime continued to pursue with Ironhide behind him, but Lazerbeak easily kept a perfect pace despite the damage to his wing. He carried Ben like a bird might carry a worm, tightening his grip every so often to assert the point that he was his prisoner, and most certainly, his Father and Optimus wouldn't find him in time. He made notice, rather quickly of a tree big enough to hold them both and glided quietly into the leaves of it. Dropping him onto one branch, Lazerbeak carefully and tightly placed one claw over Ben's mouth, pinning him down with the other.

Lazerbeak peered over the side of the branch carefully, watching and scanning. Optimus and Ironhide stopped not far off and transformed. He didn't bother listening in on what was being said, but made notice of the fact they pressed on. As Ben attempted to cry out, Lazerbeak had had enough. He slammed his head hard against the branch, rendering the captive conscious. Once he was certain the Autobots were a fair distance away, he took hold of Ben again and took off further into the air. He flew for several minutes before slowly descending, he dropped Ben, awakening the boy, who by now looked ready to wet himself.

Soundwave stood over him with a sly grin as Lazerbeak, back arched, kept his optics firmly on the boy. "You have something that _belongs_ to us." Soundwave said coldly, he stepped forward a bit, the ground shook as he did so "Before you lie to me. I know from your Father that the prototype we worked on had been stolen." Ben stared up at Soundwave, he attempted to back up, but Lazerbeak's snarl caused him not to "Where is it fleshling? Tell me, and you'll go free. At one time we believed we needed you, however, all we really need is the prototype." He noted.

"I refuse to hand it over to you."

Soundwave turned his head and curtly nodded to Lazerbeak, who's tail lashed out a blade stuck out and pointed at his throat. Soundwave held out his palm, yet again, and watched Ben quietly. "THE PROTOTYPE." He said firmly, his singular, sideways diamond optic flashing "Our patience wears thin, human. Hand over the prototype, or die." He said, his voice cold and unfeeling as usual.

Ben trembled, sobbing quietly, he begged Ironhide to forgive him in the back of his mind. Carefully, he reached into his back pocket, producing a clear diamond, inside, blue energy rotated around. Lazerbeak shot up, and took hold of the prototype carefully before gliding it over to Soundwave's waiting palm. "Alright, you have what you want from me. Now, let me go." Ben told him, gulping a bit, he turned to make his escape as the large, brooding form of Rumble greeted him "W-We had a deal." He said, his body trembled in fear as Rumble took firm hold of his wrist.

"Did you honestly believe I'd keep my half of it?" Soundwave questioned, Lazerbeak chuckled a bit "You have a connection to the Autobots, and if you will not spy for them. The only logical answer, is to use you against them." He noted.

Ben understood full well what that meant, they were taking him as a hostage, insurance they wouldn't interfere with whatever they planned. Soundwave carefully transformed down into a Mercedes SLS AMG as Rumble grabbed firm hold of his other arm. Ben did the only thing he could, he thought hard, Ironhide had told him that if he was ever in real danger, all he ever had to do was send his thoughts out, and he'd hear him. _"DAD!"_ His mind screamed out, Soundwave's door slid upward, opening.

But within a moment, Rumble was little more then a pile of spare parts. Soundwave transformed at once, moving to take hold of Ben himself, but he hadn't gotten within an inch of him before he was met with the barrel of a cannon. Ironhide glared at Soundwave, snarling quietly with a rage never before seen from the Weapons Specialist, by Autobot, Decepticon, or Human alike. "Go ahead Soundwave, lay a claw on him, I dare ye." He said, letting the cannon twist and whirr "Drop the prototype and step away from my son. Or so help me Primus, I'll blow your slagging head right off your shoulders." He noted.

"No."

Ironhide didn't have time to react as Soundwave drove the arm blade right into his chest plate, he barely missed his spark. Ben could only watch in horror as Ironhide went down, he rushed forward, and screamed out his name, but Soundwave had snatched him into his greedy claws before he could do much else. As Optimus quickly rushed forward, Soundwave placed the very blade he had struck Ironhide with to Ben's throat, stopping him in his tracks. "If I am followed, the child will perish." Soundwave told him simply, noting Optimus's rage, and intensity "You have been warned." He noted.

It was a rather dumb comment however, as a blast knocked him back causing him to drop Ben, who was immediately caught by Optimus. Soundwave crouched a bit, Ironhide's cannon sizzling in front of him as it rotated and whirred. "Over my offlined chassis, are you taking MY son." He snarled gently, standing up slowly, he glared hard "Take whatever you came for, I know I'm not getting _that_ from you. But Ben is not going _anywhere_." He added.

Soundwave stared at Ben for a moment, then at Optimus, who, despite being unrelated to Ben covered him protectively. Soundwave noted the fact that whether or not he liked it, Ben was not going with him, it was illogical to fight them both at once. Besides, they _had_ the only reason they needed Ben in the first place. "Very well, we have what we came for, take the child." He noted coldly "He is nothing more then a wasted piece of property." He stated as he transformed and took off.

Ben body shook violently, still a bit stunned, he felt Optimus cradle him gently. He knew he was safe, but he still could feel the fear of what had almost happened shoot up his spine. Optimus was gentle in passing the boy over to Ironhide, who took him carefully. Ironhide held him to his spark carefully, the beat soothed him carefully, the beat of his spark against his heart had an effect that normally ever happened with Sparklings. "You're safe son, relax yourself. I've got you." Ironhide stared up at Optimus slightly "What was that they got? Could you tell?" He questioned.

"No, but I fear it could be noting good."

Ironhide stared down at Ben, almost as if wondering if Ben even knew. The boy stared up at him, and shifted a bit. "I don't know, i-it was just something I took out of anger." Ben admitted, his voice quiet, Ironhide nodded, knowing Ben was being serious "I don't know what the Decepticons would even want with one of Dad's scientists inventions." He added quietly, shaking against Ironhide's body "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have given it to them either way, I know." He added.

"It's not your fault, you didn't have a choice." Ironhide told him calmly, rubbing his back with a finger gently "I'm just thankful yer safe and sound." He turned to Optimus quietly, and took a deep breath, he stared down at Ben "Never pull a stunt like you did ever again son. I almost lost you today." He told him carefully "Something I never again want to experience as long as I'm online." He told him gently.

Ben nodded his head slowly, and allowed Ironhide to hold him close. It was really the first time the boy realized just how much he truly meant to the mech. It was obvious that he meant everything to him, which stunned him quite a bit. Out of all the humans, he was the one that Ironhide had grown that close to. Ironhide hugged him carefully, but let up after a moment, and moved him onto his shoulder. "All I know about the prototype, is that Dad asked me for a formula for it... Like a year ago." Ben, who was slowly calming down, told them calmly "As a technological genius, I knew a little on the subject. But I don't remember what the formula was for." He told them, and shook his head a bit "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, we'll figure it out." Optimus stated firmly "Ironhide, you should get your son back home. I need to assist Bumblebee. Hopefully I will not be too late." He added.

Ironhide nodded at him calmly, allowing Optimus to transform and drive off. Ironhide could still feel his spark beating at a billion miles per hour. He had never felt himself so scared since he watched Chromia and her sisters undergo surgery, and offline in the process. Seeing Ben taken, and worse, when Soundwave had threatened his life had been the most frightening moment in his life next to that. Carefully, holding his chest wound, he turned his optics in Ben's direction. "Come on Ben, let's get back, we both need to be checked out." He added, knowing Ben was likely at least bruised and scraped up "Before Hatchet kills us." He noted.

Ben nodded slightly, leaning his head against Ironhide's shoulder plate. He felt exhausted, but at the same, he felt as though he was safer now then he had ever been. The Decepticons had what they wanted from him, Ryan was scared off. Though he knew that with the prototype in their hands, it could mean that hell was about to break loose at the same time. He stared up at Ironhide slowly, and did his best not to look sheepish. "Hopefully that's the end of it. Because I'm so tired of dealing with... Being the main target." He admitted quietly.

"Never again." Ironhide noted firmly.

Of course, Ironhide couldn't be sure of that, but he could be sure he did everything in his power to prevent it from happening again. It only bothered him that the Decepticons now had an object of unknown power within their grasp. it could mean something terrible, or as a prototype, could have easily mean that it was nothing. He could only hope with all his might that it was the latter of the two. For now however, he wouldn't worry about that, he had to get Ben medical attention, and to safety. And then hope that Aaron was safe as well. They would worry about what the Decepticons were after once that was done.

And Primus knew, they would.


	51. Chapter 51

**CHAPTER 51**

Ben had never seen Ratchet in such a combination of anger and understanding. He guessed that the anger half of it came from not having kids, but Ratchet had a soft spot for them, creating the understanding half. Ben had suffered minor injuries, mostly bruises and scrapes. Ironhide on the other hand, had to have a few parts of his leg replaced as well as part of his chestplate replaced in surgery. He refused to leave Ironhide's side, being Ironhide was all he had, he had no other family other then his Father's cousin he didn't even know, and Ironhide had no living family. If Ironhide didn't make it through the night, he'd be alone at NEST, that much he was sure of.

Ironhide's optics onlined after Ben had fallen asleep to these thoughts. He had collapsed into stasis upon arrival, so the sight of the Med Bay, laying on a medical berth, and Ben laying his head against it surprised him greatly. "He refused to leave your side." Ironhide stared up in surprise at Ratchet's voice, the medic made his way forward "You went into stasis lock on arrival. I feared you wouldn't make it... I understand your need to protect him, but in doing so, you almost left him an orphan." He noted.

Ironhide felt his spark fall at this, he couldn't even begin to imagine how his son had felt, having almost lost the only loving parent he'd ever had. The only loving home he'd ever had at that. Carefully, he reached a finger out and ran it through the boy's hair gently, hoping he may feel his touch or perhaps his spark and know he was alive and well. "Primus, I was only trying to protect him... I was scared to loose him." He stared at Ratchet with honest optics "Primus knows I would gladly die in his place." He admitted.

"Honorable, but he'd have no one then Ironhide." Ratchet told him, his optics stared at Ironhide sternly "What would you expect to happen? Throw him on NEST? From the talk I had with Ben, he wants to live his life as the son of no one else." He stated, leaning forward "I don't mean to be so harsh with you, Ironhide. I simply wish to point out that there are other factors other then your honor at work here." He said carefully.

Ironhide's optics fell, he had never truly thought of it that way, but he was still a new Father. He was still learning, yet he still felt as though he was punched in the gut. He had never thought of the affects his death could have on the one loved one he had left. And now, to put it simply, he felt the full extent of it, Ben needed him, more then anything else. He sighed a bit, watching as the boy snuggled into his berth smiling, Ironhide knew that the boy could feel him, and sighed in relief. "I know, alright Ratchet? I've never been a Father before, I'm learning." Ironhide told him, looking at Ratchet slowly "I simply could not watch Soundwave take him. It _scared_ me to think that he'd hold him hostage. And when have you known me to be scared?" He questioned.

"It frightened you to think of Soundwave taking your child?" Ratchet asked, his voice was filled with disbelief at his old friend's answer "I have never heard those words from your mouth. I almost question if you're bullslagging me." He noted, and stared at Ironhide, who seemed to not take his eyes off the sleeping boy "But the way you act around him, I know better. You really do love that boy, don't you?" He questioned.

"Honestly? More then I've ever felt love for any being other then Chromia." Ironhide smiled gently, he took a deep breath "If you had a child, you'd understand better Ratchet. But they, change you... I laughed at that idea when I was told so before. But Primus if taking Ben in hasn't changed me." He admitted, saying this with obvious honesty, Ratchet stared down sadly, and frowned a bit, allowing his optic ridge to furrow "Apologies, I know that's a soft spot. I should not have made such a comment." He noted, quietly, he then stared at Ratchet slowly "What about Aaron?" He questioned.

"Barricade took off, they got Aaron back with minor bruises, much like Ben." Ratchet explained, he stared at Ironhide "Before you ask, Mirage did not bring Robbie or Dana into the battle, so they sustained no damage." He then added, quietly "Most likely, Barricade gave up because Bumblebee apparently gave him a real thrashing. Heard he nearly destroyed the upper half of his body." He added, he shook his head a bit "To think Barricade went through all that trouble to get a prototype." He added, flatly, he shook his head "If I were you, I'd hope that Ben truly is as safe as he appears to be." He added.

"I'm praying to Primus on the subject as we speak." Ironhide replied honestly, he stared off "I wish that I knew what it had been, what they had wanted. That prototype clearly has a great meaning to the Decepticons." He took a deep breath and looked down at Ben "Poor kid is deeper in then I expected. But it does make me feel even better to have taken him in." He noted, then stared up "Not leaving the med bay tonight, am I?" He questioned.

"No, I take it you'll need a blanket for him?" Ratceht questioned.

"Unless you want to make BEN of all people leave my side. And good luck with that."

Ratchet smirked, and nodded his head reaching into a drawer, he pulled out a large blue blanket. Ironhide carefully lifted Ben onto his chestplate, where it wasn't still tender. He draped the blanket over him carefully as Ratchet handed it over. Taking a deep breath, he let his optics slowly offline yet again, knowing Ben would be more then happy to wake up to his smiling face, even if he found it strange to think that way.

...

Aaron could easily remember everything that had happened that day. Bumblebee and Barricade had fought into the holding area, Bumblebee had beat Barricade half-to-death. He had seen Barricade's optic hanging on a hinge, his arm cracked, and his entire chest was crushed in. How he drove off like he did was beyond Aaron's comprehension, but he hadn't cared to ask. He was dirty, beaten up, and looking a bit weak, so the first thing he had done after seeing Ratchet was obviously immediately taking a shower. When he was out and dressed in clean clothing, he found Bumblebee, he leaned against a wall and stared down at him.

"How are you feeling?" Bumblebee immediately questioned, moving forward into a crouch, and doing dozens of scans "Primus, scared the slag out of me. If I had just avoided the slagging glitch." He took a deep breath, and stood to his feet "I'm starting to think that I was an idiot for even considering this... Slag, he could have tortured you, or worse." He stated, taking a few deep breaths.

Aaron stared at his Father's minor panic attack, he frowned at Bumblebee's self-doubt however. Bumblebee couldn't have seriously thought that he was so bad at being a Father that he shouldn't be one, did he? Bumblebee made him feel safer and more secure then he had since he lost his adoptive parents. He sighed, making his way forward, he placed a hand on his Father's leg plate. "Hey not your fault Dad, you couldn't have seen him coming in time, and got me out all at once." Aaron commented, his voice quiet, understanding, he smiled up at the mech "You're a great Dad, okay? You've never been anything less then a great one." He added.

Bumblebee smiled a little at this, thankful Aaron really felt that way in regards to him. After all, he was the one he was being a Father to, which made his opinion the one that obviously mattered the most. Even if in a way, he felt responsible, he still felt a warming in his spark. After all, Aaron was alive, relatively unharmed, minus the stitches and a few bruises, and didn't look all too hurt, even if a little shaken up. "I appreciate your confidence in me son..." Bumblebee smiled, lifting him up onto his shoulder "That will be the last time I take you out that late however, that I can promise you." He noted calmly.

"If it means that I don't become a part of some nutjob's collection, I sure as hell won't complain." Aaron admitted with a chuckle, Bumblebee found the joke less-then-amusing "Oh come on Dad, I didn't mean it in that way. Take it easy, I'm safe and sound." He leaned his head carefully against the yellow mech's armor plating "I'm safe and sound, so is Ben. You did your job, worrying isn't going to do any good." He added.

"As your Father, there are days I can't help but worry." Bumblebee admitted.

Aaron smirked, he knew why, he reminded Bumblebee a lot of himself at his age. As if the fact that his holoform and Aaron looking nearly like mirror images, with Bumblebee simply looking like an adult Aaron wasn't indication enough. Considering these two factors, it was near impossible not to tell that Aaron and Bumblebee were Father and Son. And considering Bumblebee was quite the trouble-magnet as a child, it didn't help matters much. "Heh, can't argue with you there. I'm the only kind on base to be kidnapped twice." Aaron chuckled gently "Talk about bad luck." He noted.

"Let's hope there's never a third time either."

Aaron nodded in agreement quietly, he leaned his head against Bumblebee's shoulder. He'd never felt this exhausted before, but then again, he _had_ just gone through hell and made it out alive. He couldn't help it, not as much as he'd have liked to anyway. Bumblebee turned his head, and gently ran a finger along his back, he smiled gently. "I'd say it's time to get you to bed." Aaron smiled at his Father's words, the thought of a nice warm bed were welcoming "With extra sensors on tonight for sure, just in case." He noted.

"You're overprotective." Aaron teased.

"I love you more then anything and don't want to risk your safety." Came Bumblebee's bluntly honest response.

Aaron smiled at Bumblebee's response, allowing himself to fall asleep to those words, Bumblebee carried him toward his room. Glad that this nightmare was over, and that with any luck, another one was not just around the corner.


	52. Chapter 52

It's official, heartbreak SUCKS. Sorry for the delay with this, I'm having a rough time right now.

...

**CHAPTER 52**

Nothing bothered Ironhide more then being on leave after a surgical procedure. He should have been on-duty, but of course, the damage he had recovered from, prevented it. Yet, he was thankful to have the time with Ben, who as visibly quite shaken by what had taken place. The last half a week since it had happened, Ironhide had not let him off of the base in order to keep him safe. The Decepticons had the prototype they wanted, sure, but Ben had made up the formula's for it and that made it nerve-wracking, needless to say. The last thing he needed was to have Ben in trouble yet again. Ben put his hands in his pockets slightly, staring out towards the beach they were relaxing on.

Ironhide and Will were stationed near the entrance to the beach. Ironhide's holoform leaned against his truck form, and Will relaxed in the sand. Ben stood near the edge of the ocean, watching the waves and speaking with Sarah, young Annabelle appeared to be playing near the shore. Will stared up at his friend slightly, smiling a bit. "Feeling any better big guy?" He questioned, the mech nodded slowly "Still worried about Ben, aren't you?" He asked.

"It's hard not to, after what took place." Ironhide noted, he seated himself beside Will calmly "Ben is all I have left in this Universe. I almost lost him, I can imagine the feeling was to me what loosing your wife and daughter would be to you." He took a deep breath "I never expected this to happen. To come to love a human... Youngling the way I have." He looked down slightly "Then I met Ben, and suddenly everything you said of parenting being a chore you're happy to do." He admitted.

"Never thought I'd hear that from you." Will chuckled, Ironhide simply rolled his eyes in response "No seriously, I knew you had a soft spot. But you never exactly seemed to be the Fatherly type to me." He admitted, trying to make what he meant as clear as he could "Though you're really good with Ben. You've surprised me in a good way, that's for sure." He noted, he looked at Ironhide who snorted a bit "What?" He questioned.

"I helped many orphans during the war. Because I simply had no children of my own does not mean I do not have soft spots." Ironhide stated, he looked at Will slightly "I could have adopted centuries ago. My choice, however, was not to when we were at such a breaking point in the war. I was fighting, constantly I had no time for children." He took a deep breath "But I'm getting older, Ben needs me. It was time to consider exactly what I'm doing." He admitted, his smile growing slightly "Besides, no sparkling made me happy like Ben does. And I think he'd have made Chromia equally as happy."

"I'm sure she'd be happy." Will patted his friends shoulder gently and looked out toward the rest of their large, albeit strange family "I mean heck, you're adopting a great kid. And one that's pretty normal for a kid that went through as much as he had. There are really very few of us that could go through that." He shook his head "It amazes me that he is able to handle it, I know I'd never have been able to at his age, at least." He admitted.

"He's tough, I don't think he handles it half as well as he says he does." Ironhdie turned to Will calmly "He has reoccurring nightmares, ones that I still have to comfort him about. Mostly about what his Father did, something that concerns me deeply." He crossed his arms thoughtfully "I've considered taking him to see a therapist, but slag if I know any good ones in this situation." He admitted, quietly, he tilted his head a bit "I don't suppose you do?" He questioned.

"I might, I'll make a call to an old friend of mine. I might be able to get him to see Ben."

Ironhide sighed with relief at Will's reply, it made him feel good to know there was a chance he could get Ben help. He knew his son needed it, he loved him, but he couldn't always be there to make him feel better or help him. Ben needed professional help, especially after what had taken place. He smiled a bit as said teenager made his way toward them, and seated himself beside Ironhide. "Everything okay, you're distant today." Ben noted.

"Fine, fine..." Ironhide smiled, and put an arm around his son's shoulders "Yer old man's simply a little tired."

"You went through surgery, kind of a given that you're tired." Ben leaned against Ironhide, comfortably he looked quite happy "So, we got a meeting with Social Services like... Next week, last one before we go to court?" Ironhide nodded "You sure you'll be up for that?" He questioned.

Ironhide frowned, as if stunned by the fact Ben asked that. That day meant everything to him, it was when they set the court date, when they'd go to have the adoption, hopefully, approved. It had been a quick process thanks to Ultra Magnus adopting Robbie, but the two months, which would soon become three seemed to last years in Ironhide's processor. Ben would be his in a short month, give or take, and Primus forbid he screw it up now. "If not I'll force myself to be. I'm not screwing yer adoption up, not after I fought so hard to protect you." He commented, he smiled and kissed him gently on the head "Don't even think about getting out of it." He added.

"I was more worried you'd try to." Ben admitted.

Ironhide gave an amused snort at his son, who chuckled at his own fears. They both knew neither one were about to put an end to this. Ben wanted Ironhide as his Father more then anything, and Ironhide wanted Ben as a part of his life just as much. Will only smiled at the two of them, it was nice, for a change, to see something like this in the middle of such a hard fought war. "Watch it 'Hide, you're becoming sentimental." Will teased, Ironhid rolled his eyes a bit "And around others too, man, are you sure you're feeling okay after that surgery?" He joked.

"Nah, this little guy." He stated, taking the young boy and holding him close "Was all that happened to me."

"Dad..." Ben's face grew red a bit.

Ironhide knew that Ben was thankful for the comment, even if he wouldn't admit it. After all, he had changed as much as Ironhide had. When the mech had met Ben, he wasn't nearly as happy, he seemed tense and stressed all the time. He was often bruised, quiet, and unhappy. Now, Ben was all smiles, happier, affectionate, and not a bruise appeared present. And Ironhide intended to make sure it stayed that way. "Just telling the truth, youngling, just telling the truth." Ironhide noted with his smile widening.

"I think I liked you better tough." He jested.

"Mmm, you calling me soft runt?" Ironhide jested, bringing the boy into a head lock with a noogie.

Will watched the playful rough-housing with a grin, there were times he wished he had a young boy to rough-house with. But then again, he was glad to just have a child as well, being that Annabelle was quite well-behaved and fun. He just couldn't rough house with her in the same way that Ironhide could with Ben. He sighed a bit, and watched the two of them. "Careful 'Hide, you might break him." He joked as he made his way toward his wife and daughter.

Ironhide released Ben carefully and the boy simply sat up and watched the scene. He leaned back against the arm, allowing Ironhide to hold him close, he took a deep breath. It felt so strange being a part of such a big family, or at least what he considered to be one. He sighed a bit, and sighed slightly. "It's kinda scary knowing in a month that this is probably going to be my family..." He noted.

"Probably?" Ironhide snorted, he looked down at the boy slowly "This _is_ going to be your family son. Don't think otherwise."

Ben smiled a bit, and leaned his head against Ironhide's chest. He supposed the mech was right, there was little chance the court would reject his adoption of Ben. And if they did, Ben had no doubt in his mind that Ironhide would fight them for custody for as long as possible. "I don't know, maybe I'll tell them I don't want an old fart like you as a Dad." He commented with a smirk.

Ironhide's grin widened as he put his hands out, and carefully tickled the teen in the sides. The boy broke out into a loud giggle fit, clearly, he was lucky he wasn't any other human, who might have been shot at with Ironhide's cannons for such a comment, even in jesting. But with Ben, he wouldn't ever lay even a fingertip on the child if it wasn't in a loving or playful way. Even a tough, tempered mech like him would never so much as strike his own child. "Ohhh so I'm old, am I?" Ironhide smirked a bit, watching as Ben squirmed and begged for mercy "I'd take that back if I were you, my holoform does not get tired, I can keep this up for hours." He noted.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Ben said through the giggles.

Ironhide released his son, but continued to hold him close, his most prized possession. It wasn't his cannons, nor his countless battle records, nor his equivalence to human medals he had. It was Ben, a boy who had unexpectedly come into his life and stolen his spark in ways that stunned him. He had never once imagined having a child would bring him such joy, in fact, he had suspected it would be more stress then anything. But the more he had Ben, the more he enjoyed it, the more he felt like it was the one thing he had done truly right. He sighed a bit, and ran a hand through his hair before he patted Ben on the back. "Go on, you should be hanging out with the others." He smirked "I'll be fine back here." He added.

Ben nodded slightly and jogged off, allowing Ironhide his alone time. The mech watched as he and Will began to goof off, splashing water, enjoying themselves. Yes, Ben was one of his greatest achievements, and most prized 'possession'. Just the thought that he had taken a boy who had lived his life in hell, and giving him a real life. No matter the age, every child deserved it, and he was proud to say, even if he couldn't help every child like that. That he could say that he damn well saved _this one_.


	53. Chapter 53

**CHAPTER 53**

It was the quiet nights that Robbie enjoyed the most. No drama, no action, no fighting, simply watching the stars, and enjoying himself. More often then not, Magnus would join him, and that's what he enjoyed most. Being with his father for a few hours, something he wasn't always afforded. Unlike most, he and Jack didn't get to see their parents for more then a few hours at a time, at most, since they were dealing with the present situation. Of course, with some sort of prototype in Decepticon hands, it only made sense when you thought about it. That night however, Robbie was afforded a bit longer with the mech.

They were on the grass just outside of Tranquility, it was already nearing ten o'clock, so it afforded them two hours. Robbbie sighed a bit, laying his head against his Father's neck as they laid against the grass, watching the sky quietly. All the stars seemed to be out that night, which made Robbie almost wish he was out with Dana, almost. Since he hadn't had alone time with Magnus in around four weeks, he was thankful to simply have the alone time. Magnus didn't complain either, considering he felt the same way, like he hadn't spent quite enough time with the boy lately. "So, can we see Cybertron from here?" Robbie questioned.

"Sort of, we can see the system it is in. But not the planet itself." Magnus's holoform shifted a bit, and pointed toward a series of constellations "It would be in that system right there. I think you might be able to see it slightly." He moved his finger toward an oddly red-ish colored one "That would be Cybertron, it's metal. But from a far distance, it's been said to look crimson. One of the only stars in your system to be so unique." He shook his head a bit, and stared down at Robbie "Gorgeous, even from a distance, isn't it?" He questioned.

Robbie nodded in agreement, it really did look gorgeous. It was glowing, and even, if you squinted, rotating. He didn't know why but it did look oddly gorgeous. He sighed and snuggled against his Father carefully. Anyone might have found the sight strange, but Robbie was enjoying every moment of it. Just like Ben, he liked having a parent that would do these things with him. Though he had not had one like this for a far shorter time then Ben, he still felt comforted to know he now had one. "I wonder if Earth looks that way from Cybertron?" Robbie questioned, and stared at Magnus "Did you know?" He questioned.

"No, we never knew of Earth until the Allspark landed here." Magnus shook his head slightly "We knew of other planets with organic life forms. Some like yours, some not so much. But they never glowed. I would expect that, perhaps the uniqueness of your planet and its inhabitants would make it glow." He said, as if trying to humor his son, he sighed inwardly, and thought back to Cybertron "Sometimes I wonder myself however. If you can see us, could we have seen you?" He questioned, quietly.

"Maybe when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth."

"Hey! I'm not quite that old!" Magnus teased, poking the boy in the side, then looked thoughtful "Well, erm, I guess I am, come to think of it. It took Megatron centuries to get here, and considering the time-frame that was in. I could possibly be older then Earth itself." He stated thoughtfully "Primus, I suppose I _am_ old." He admitted, chuckling a bit, Robbie grinned and rolled his eyes a little "Oh come on, my age hardly shows son, even you have to admit that." He noted.

"Yeah, you only look forty-five rather then fifty-six."

"How do you even know my age in Cybertronian years?" Magnus questioned, though it only took a moment to figure out "Of course, Bumblebee, right? The little bugger." He chuckled a bit, and rolled his eyes a little "Yeah, well, I've been a round for a long time, what can I say?" He admitted, he shrugged his shoulders a bit "Optimus is even older, if you want old. He's sixty-five, nine years older then myself." He added.

"If you went to school with Ratchet, the mech did not age well." Robbie joked.

"We went to the human equivalence of 'College' together. He was in our version of 'Grad School'." Magnus explained, he sat up slightly, allowing Robbie to as well "Ratchet must be pushing eighty in human years these days. He and Ironhide went to our 'High School' together. Though Ironhide was a bit younger. So he's at least seventy." He chuckled a bit at Robbie's look of shock "What? Just because we're old doesn't mean we can't still kick aft. We age MUCH slower then your kind after all." He explained.

"Yeah, that explains a lot. How old can you live to be?"

Magnus looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to assess how old they could live to be. For the most part, he'd never heard of a Transformer that died of old age, though he knew there had been a few. Among them, his and Optimus's adoptive Father, Alpha Trion, who had lived to be the human equivalent of nearly one thousand years. He sighed a bit, and looked upon Robbie. "Countless centuries, my adoptive Father lived to be a millennium. I've heard of a couple that were three thousand before Cybertron was destroyed." He stated, then looked at Robbie with a shake of his head "To be honest son, I'm unsure of how long we can live to be." He admitted.

"Damn, that must be awesome."

Magnus frowned, in a way, it was nice, but then again it was a curse now. He would outlive Robbie, his children, his children's children, and so on. He would long outlive his loved ones, and no one wanted to outlive their children. Magnus and Ironhide sadly didn't have a choice of whether or not they did with theirs. "A blessing and a curse. It means that, without a doubt, I will outlive you lest I die in battle." Magnus told him quietly "And no parent wants that, not even us." He added.

Robbie looked at the ground, and felt the sadness that swelled in Magnus's spark, he knew he was right. All that Magnus would end up having were Optimus, Bumblebee, and most likely the Techno-Organics if they lived as long as their parents. He crossed his arms, and nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, but my family will always be around, you'll have grandkids and stuff I hope." He added.

Magnus smiled and nodded his head in agreement, he crossed his arms slightly, he supposed that was true, it wouldn't be all bad. But he knew that when that happened, he would miss Robbie, there was nothing he could do to stop him from aging. But he could simply enjoy the time they had together right now. He sighed a bit and pulled Robbie close, smiling a bit, he hugged him, tightly. "Mmmm, but let's not even think about it son. I never want to think of loosing you. Not unless I have to." He added.

Robbie nodded in agreement, Magnus was right, he'd let it go for now. He didn't want to think about dying and leaving Magnus, or vise-versa. He'd simply enjoy the life he had now, and not think about anything that terrible. He sighed a bit, and leaned back, allowing himself to continue to stare up at the star-filled skies. He simply allowed himself to relax and do so, the future could wait, he would enjoy today. He sighed a bit, and thought back for a moment, where he'd been, where he'd come to, life as it could have been. He'd been doing a lot of thinking in regards to his life then and now over the last few weeks.

Things had changed left and right with him, he was in a more permanent home. He had a girlfriend, a car that most kids would probably kill to own, and that was not even exaggerating. It was different, but he wouldn't have changed it, that was for sure. He sighed and leaned back a bit, before he turned his head towards Magnus. "You know, I've been thinking." He began, Magnus turned his head slightly to Robbie, who stared at him "If you could ever go back, you know, before the war, and undo the war, would you? You know, to live on Cybertron again, have your old life again?" He questioned.

"No." Magnus admitted, Robbie cocked an eyebrow "I would love to see Cybertron again, but in doing so. I would loose much of the wisdom I had. As well as you." He shook his head "If I were never here I doubt you'd live right now." He admitted "Primus knows that Jerry would have likely pulled something." He admitted, he shook his head a bit "It would be selfish to want that, it would ruin both of our lives in a way. If this makes any sense." He questioned.

"I guess it does." Robbie commented "But I'm not gonna lie, I didn't expect that answer."

"You're young, and don't have your own children yet." Magnus commented, he smiled a bit, and stared down at him "When you do, I can honestly say, it is likely you will understand the same way I do." He shook his head a bit "Unless you truly hate your children, it's hard to wish they never came into your lives." He shook his head a bit "But enough of that for the night, I'm tired, I need recharge. And it's well past your bedtime as is." He noted.

"I hate schooldays."

Magnus smiled, knowing that Robbie would have loved more time, and so would he. But there was nothing they could do, except hope that they got a weekend next time. Or wait for the summer, when they'd have plenty of time. Regardless however, he needed to get back, as sad a fact as that was. They still had a prototype to find the properties and purpose of, and hopefully, stop the Decepticons. And while Robbie came first, even the teenager would understand that he had a whole lot more on his mind then he wanted to. Even with the Wreckers handling it, he wouldn't stand by and do nothing.

Hopefully, once things were calm and back to normal, he and Robbie could have more afforded alone time. But for now, he'd take it as he got it, and simply hope for more.


	54. Chapter 54

Woot! Twenty years young today! XD

**...  
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**CHAPTER 54**

"Now, the court is saying that the best date would be four weeks from now." Ironhide noted to Ratchet, the two were relaxing in Ratchet's med bay "This means that it's definitely happening, I know that. But slag if I'm not STILL very nervous about this." he shook his head a bit "I just don't know WHY." He added.

Ratchet chuckled a little at his friends uncertainty, and even moreso at the fact he was talking to him about it. He didn't know the first thing about adoption, and to ask him about how it worked was like asking a human to speak Cybertronian. He sighed a bit, however, and looked at his friend calmly, knowing he still needed some sort of comfort and a talk. And being they were old friends, Ratchet was more then happy to provide it. "Listen, Ironhide, I may not be the best at these conversations. But perhaps things would be easier if you didn't think about it so much." Ratchet began, he stared at Ironhide slightly "Stressing over things is never the answer." He noted.

"You're one to talk." Ironhide snorted a little and stared at Ratchet with a roll of his optics "Between yerself and Red Alert, it's like a non-stop worry party." He barely dunked the wrench that Ratchet chucked at his head just barely "Relax Ratchet, only a joke." He noted.

Ratchet simply rolled his optics a little, clearly, he didn't see the humor in it at all. But Ironhide's humor was a rather strange brand of humor to begin with, so he couldn't help it. Ironhide sighed a bit, he looked Ratchet in the optics, and the yellow mech simply smiled a bit. "He's a good kid Ironhide, and as odd as it is. You're quite a good Father as well." Ratchet stated, he sat in a large, Transformer-like chair "You're not going to blow your chance because you've proven time and time again that you love and care about Ben. Scarily enough, you seem to love the sparkling more then your cannons." Ironhide nodded slightly "Any 'court' that doesn't see that are a bunch of slagging idiots." He added.

"What makes you think he means that much to me?"

"Oh please, if you were a human I could see you carrying a picture of the two of you in your 'wallet'." Ratchet told Ironhide flatly, who chuckled a bit at the statement "Since the moment you brought him here, you've changed. For the better I might add. You protect him like he'll break like glass." He looked at Ironhide "Not to mention you beat his Father half to death not once, but TWICE." He noted.

Ironhide chuckled, he supposed it must have been obvious by now. However, it was natural, Ben was his Foster Son, he'd do anything for him. In fact, he almost felt sorry for Ben when he wanted to date, as he was likely to want to meet _every_ girl he dated. Most Father's did that to their daughter's boyfriends, but Ironhide didn't care, any girl who dated Ben would have to be approved of by him. To put it simply, Ironhide did care about the boy as much as he made it obvious he did. "Yeah, I guess the little punk... Is more precious then my cannons." Ironhide admitted, his optics crossed at Ratchet "That stays between us though, you'd slagging better not say anything." He noted.

"Everyone knows Ironhide, you make it OBVIOUS." Ratchet snorted, he sighed a little "I'm glad that one of us became a Father however. To be honest, I considered taking Ben when I first heard of it." He noted, he sighed a bit "But at nearly eighty human years, I am in no position to adopt anyone. Prime's trying to convince me to step down once First Aid arrives as is. And I'm even considering it." He admitted.

Ironhide felt bad for Ratchet, he knew the mech was growing old. And while Ironhide himself was seventy, ten years made a huge difference in a way. Ratchet was making the right choice, he loved the mech like a brother, but Primus knew Ratchet had too much on his mind. However, he had already told Ratchet that he and Will were Ben's designated Godfather's if anything ever happened to him. If Ironhide ever perished in battle, he had chosen Ratchet to be the one with full custody of him, while he'd remain living with the Lennox's. That was the plan, anyway, until he signed documents it wouldn't be official.

"Hey, you're one of his Godfather's, you're going to be as much a role model to Ben as I am." Ironhide noted.

Ratchet smiled at the thought, clearly enjoying the thought of having a hand in raising Ben. Even if the boy would be out of the base in a few years, that left him some time at the very least to be someone's role model. And being Ben was a genius, as they had learned, perhaps he'd see if he could teach him a few things about being an Autobot Medic. "Mmmm hopefully I make a good Godfather at that." He noted calmly "And am never needed to take over for you." He added quietly.

Ironhide shuddered at the thought, not of Ratchet taking care of Ben, but rather of dying and leaving Ben. He knew it was very unlikely to happen, and if it did, he'd die knowing he was well taken care of. Primus knew Ratchet had as much of a soft spot for kids as he did, and would raise him the same way. But it still frightened him to think of that, or worse, of loosing Ben. "Nah, this old mech isn't toppling anytime soon." Ironhide patted his chest "And if I do, I know I've picked the right mech to raise him." He put a hand on his friend's shoulder "Thanks for the talk Ratchet." He noted.

Ratchet chuckled a bit as Ironhide left, the boy was changing him. Of course, Ironhide had always been a softie, but now it was really showing. Whether that was something they should all fear or not, however, remained to be seen.

...

Ben sighed a bit, his eyes looking up towards the hoop. Will watched him as he seemed to be completely off-kilter about the whole thing. While Ironhide had his talk with Ratchet, Will had taken him down to the park to teach him sports. Ben had never so much as picked up a baseball mitt or a basketball, and Will, being who he was, wasn't having that. Every kid needed that kind of fun time. Will sighed a bit, and tossed him the basketball a third time, Ben caught it calmly, and dribbled. "Come on Ben, you're actually really good at this." Will told him, noticing the frown on his face "Ben, what's wrong?" He commented.

"Don't make a scene, and look to your left."

Will turned his head over Ben's shoulder, he saw the source of the problem. A man in a suit was watching from a distance, Ryan, clearly he had come upon not seeing Ironhide. The fact that the man thought he was alone probably contributed to the factor. But of course, had Will not been playing one on one with him earlier, he might have thought that and tried to make a move. Carefully wrapping an arm around Ben's shoulders, he took a deep breath. "That's your Dad?" He questioned, Ben looked up and nodded slowly "Son of a bitch just doesn't know when to give up." He growled under his breath lightly "Want me to go handle him?" He questioned.

"What part of don't make a scene don't you get Will?" Ben gulped a bit, his body tensed, and he looked at Will "Let's just go, if he won't take a hint, maybe he will if we just leave." Ben moved out from under Will's arm.

Will didn't move an inch, almost tempted to give the man a piece of his mind. Ben wasn't his son, but he was his Godson, and on top of that, living under his roof. Anyone that threatened a person Will considered family normally would have been a dead man. But at the moment, the man wasn't causing any trouble, and to pick a fight would have just been a bad idea. Will turned his head toward Ben, and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. 'Hide should be by soon anyway to pick us up." He turned his head toward the man who seemed to walk off "That freak though, they got what they wanted..." He added.

"He still lost me, and Ryan... He doesn't like his 'property' being taken." Ben shifted a bit uncomfortably "Come on Uncle Will, please, let's just go. I don't like being here while he's around. He's a freak, and he's going to pull something." He admitted "Let's go." He commented.

Will watched as Ben quickly made his way away from the court, he frowned a bit. He didn't like how fearful Ben was, to be perfectly honest. The boy deserved to go out and have fun without Ryan scaring him away. He could of course do this on base, but that was indoors. Ben barely got off of the base as-is these days, so it almost seemed unfair to put him through that. "That creeper, how often does he show up when you're around here?" Ben didn't seem to answer, he only shook his head "Have you told Ironhide he's been stalking you?" He questioned.

"He has bigger things to worry about right now. Just forget it."

Will was concerned by Ben's tone, it was full of fear. Something was wrong, he didn't know if Ryan had threatened him or not, but he knew this wasn't the first time he saw him. Whether Ben wanted Ironhide to know or not, Will would tell him. He had to, lest he find out when it was too late. Knowing what Ryan had done, waiting was the last thing they wanted to do, because heaven forbid, he get his hands on him again.


	55. Chapter 55

Relaxing birthdays are the best! :P

A/N: Okay, so while I didn't intend on a fifth character, a lot of you guys have really wanted to see this happen with Ratchet. So I figured, what the hay, one more addition wouldn't be too bad. So, hope I deliver here.

...

**CHAPTER 55**

Bullies, if there was one thing that Ratchet hated more then Deepticons, it was the little brats the humans called bullies. It was half the reason he didn't want to be picking Jack up, but he didn't really have a choice that afternoon. He had taken up the job in order to get off base for a little bit, but had driven around the parking lot twice out of boredom. The third go-around, he noticed the bullies in question. They were young, perhaps ten or twelve, and their young victim looked like he was probably on the verge of tears. Of course, leave it to Ratchet to do the right thing, he blared his horn, the two boys looked up, the victim bolting away. The twelve year old was bolting away within a second of the horn blaring himself. Only leaving the ten year old, who stood scared shitless, rooted on the spot.

Ratchet's holoform climbed out, glaring and giving the juvenile a once over. The boy wasn't exactly the definition of a bully, that was for sure. He was scrawny, thin, wearing thick glasses taped together in the middle. His dark brown hair was a tangled mess, so much so he barely saw the light blue eyes peeking out. To put it simply, this looked like your typical nerd, not a bully, and the thought of that was almost strange to Ratchet. The boy backed up slowly, appearing to want to make a break for it. "Where do you think _you're_ going?" Ratchet glared lightly, the boy gulped "I have half a mind to turn you into your superiors. Don't think I didn't see you bullying that poor kid." He noted.

"You and what army?"

"Oh, you're gonna try and be a smart-ass with me?" Ratchet asked coldly, putting his hands on his hips, he stared the ten year old down slowly "Give me one reason, just one, why I shouldn't haul you to your superiors? Hmmm?" He questioned, the boy seemed to do his best not to make eye-contact with him "Give me one, and I'll let you go. Don't, and I'm sure the principal would love a word with you." He noted.

"Please, don't!" The boy immediately went from his tough, stand-his-ground stature to wide, fear-filled eyes "Dude, you have no idea what that would do to me. The Principal would _destroy_ me. I'm frickin' lucky I'm here as a 'Charity Project' right now. If I get kicked out of _this_ school I'm a dead man." His eyes began to water up with tears.

Ratchet slowly relaxed, the words Charity Project ringing through his ears. He'd heard of it before, fancy schools taking orphans, or even just those living in poverty, and putting them through school to make themselves look good. He couldn't say he approved of the overall reason, as Aaron had once talked about. But the overall results were often good, it got kids off the streets, that was for sure. It didn't excuse the boy for acting out like he had, from bullying a fellow student, but a part of Ratchet truly felt sympathy for the boy. Who by the looks of it had a rough life as it was. "I won't turn you in, but I want to know what this was about." Ratchet crossed his arms "If you think you could get kicked out, why do something as stupid as bullying?" He noted.

"I wasn't bullying him!" The boy quickly stated, doing his best to keep his cool "Billy... He took my lunch money, I swear to God! I _never_ meant to hurt him. That was Terry, he's my friend, and I... I guess he's a bully but I just wanted my money back!" The boy seemed frantic, but his stress levels suggested to Ratchet he was telling the truth "Honestly, do I look like the type to bully ANYBODY? If anything he bullies _me_." He explained.

Ratchet stared at the boy, for some reason, he was inclined to believe the boy. He made a point, he was less then strong-looking, and the other boy had been surprisingly tough looking. Ratchet took a deep breath, and nodded his head a little. "Alright, I understand. I've been there before." The young boy relaxed at this, taking a few deep breaths and wiping the remaining tears from his eyes "Apologies for the misunderstanding." He added.

"I would have done the same thing." The boy replied.

"You got a name?"

The boy looked up at Ratchet, confused as to why he'd bother wanting to learn his name. Especially when, two minutes ago, he had been ready to turn him in. He put his hands in his pockets, and looked to the side a bit. He considered running off after the two other boys, but took a deep breath, and looked over. "Daniel, just Daniel." He noted, he shrugged his shoulders a bit "Before you ask, I haven't got a clue on my last name." He added.

Ratchet nodded, now understanding, he knew a homeless child when he saw one. Homeless Cybertronian sparkling's didn't look any less worse for the wear. Ratchet sighed inwardly, he looked at the boy. What he was considering in his processor was a stupid idea, and he knew it. But it wouldn't hurt, it would only last an hour or two, tops. "When was the last time you ate?" He questioned, the boy opened his mouth to speak, but Ratchet shook his head "A _real_ meal." He added, knowing full well how desperate most might become on the streets, the boy simply shrugged and looked down "I have to pick up the son of a friend of mine, but if you want some shelter and food, you'd best hop in." He noted, and stared at the bewildered boy "I'm only going to offer once." He added.

Dan stared at Ratchet, and titled his head a bit, did he trust this man? That was the ultimate question running through his brain. His stomach, however, growled loudly, he held it carefully, his cheeks blushed in embarrassment. What did he have to loose anyway? It wasn't like he had anywhere to be, the most he had to worry about was getting back to the shelter before midnight, when all the spots would be taken. Ratchet opened the door, and allowed Dan to climb in as he made his way forward. The old mech gave a tired sigh, he had a lot of explaining to do, because a young homeless boy strolling in for something to eat was not gonna be an easy sell.

...

Dan wasn't sure whether to be scared or amazed when they arrived back at the base. Ratchet had formally introduced his real form, and almost at once, he looked like he was going to pass out. He had, however, managed to calm himself down enough. He sat on a medical berth in Ratchet's Med Bay, finding himself with a turkey sandwich nearly a half an hour later. To say Ratchet looked disturbed at how the boy seemed to scarf the food down would have easily been an understatement. The boy must not have eaten for a few weeks, at most, he figured, as his bio scans suggested he was malnutrition-ed.

"Man, this stuff is good." Dan admitted, he stared up at Ratchet slowly, who smiled a bit "Thanks for this, I've been having trouble getting into the local shelter lately. Haven't had a warm meal in I don't even know how long now." He then added, noting the sympathy in Ratchet's eyes "Hey, no sympathy man. I'm not looking for pity, I get enough of that at school." He noted, and rolled his eyes "It's not that bad on the streets." He noted, throwing the wrapper away in the nearby trash "Then again, as a giant alien robot... Thing. I guess you might not know that whole thing yet." He admitted.

"I'm an Autobot, and as I've stated before, my name is Ratchet." Ratchet noted, staring Dan down a bit "I won't give pity, I'm more then aware no one enjoys being pitied." He got a nod in response as the boy took a second sandwich calmly "I'm simply amazed that a boy of your stature has survived this long. It's a feat, especially as a child." He noted, he seated himself nearby calmly "And according to my scans, you aren't exactly... Healthy." He noted.

"Hey! I do what I can, alright?" Dan defended himself, shifting a bit "At least the streets are better then the local orphanage. I'd much rather be away from that craphole, anyone there, is better off where I am." He was very flat in his response to Ratchet.

Ratchet knew the actions all too well, it reminded him of Sideswipe and his brother, Sunstreaker. When they had found them as children, they had escaped the Youth Sector, and been living on the streets of Iacon for close to five vorns. They had done the same thing Dan was now attempting to do, act tough, like he didn't feel the least bit lonely, like it didn't feel hard. The boy had guts, that much was certain, but Ratchet wasn't sure that was enough. Inside, he could tell the boy was as pained as the twins had been, though Primus forbid he become half the troublemakers they had grown up to be someday.

"No need to get angry at me, Daniel." Ratchet told him simply "I am a medic, I cannot help but observe things." He noted, he stared at the clock calmly, then at Dan, who continued to eat "What time do you need to be back, at this shelter, that is?" He questioned.

Dan turned to the clock as well, it was nearing four, and he knew if he wanted to get food, he'd have to get back soon. Dan sighed, finishing off the second sandwich calmly, he turned his eyes towards Ratchet. He wasn't sure what was going through the mech's head, then again, how did one decipher what a giant robot was thinking? He sighed a bit, and crossed his arms, staring up at him. "Soon, I guess, if I want to get a meal." He commented, hopping down from the berth and taking hold of his backpack, he adjusted his glasses carefully as Ratchet transformed down "I can walk." He noted.

"Not through a space bridge, if you're not in me, it'll disintegrate you."

Taking a deep breath, Dan made his way forward, climbing into the passengers side door. Ratchet was out of the med bay, and through the Space Bridge relatively quickly. Though the boy didn't want pity, he couldn't help but feel it, even slightly. On account of this, he made his way toward the nearest shelter, suspecting it was the one Dan often visited. Given Ratchet's enhanced speed, they arrived within five minutes. "Will this do?" Ratchet questioned, pulling to a stop.

"Yeah, it should." Daniel replied, letting the door open and the seatbelt retract, he carefully climbed out "Thanks... For everything." He turned around slightly, and stared at the green hued Hummer quietly "Will I, uh... Will I see you again?" He questioned.

If Ratchet could smile, he would have, the boy might have had an attitude, and trust issues. But he seemed to have, at the very least, appreciated the help he gave him. He rumbled his engines, and thought for a moment. "You'll see me around sometime, I can tell you that." He added.

As Ratchet took off back for home, he found himself using his rear-view mirror to watch Dan, to make sure he got inside the Shelter. His drive was surprisingly slow, until he was satisfied, and began to drive off for home, inside, he knew he'd see this boy again. As strange as it was, he almost wanted to see the boy again. And most of the time, that was saying something for Ratchet. He let the thoughts drop however, knowing he needed to get back, because Primus forbid he leave his post unattended and someone get hurt on account of it.


	56. Chapter 56

Paya Luna: Like I've said, I'm just naturally better at writing boys. The female element in this story comes from Dana. Like I've said, her role is going to slowly increase in the story. It's not about ratios or anything, it's just about what I'm more comfortable with writing. If that makes sense. :)

Daniel doesn't know either of his parents because he was abandoned upon birth (through Safe Haven). This may or may not be a plot point, I really haven't decided yet.

...**  
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**CHAPTER 56**

Dan woke up to shaking, of course, it always had to be shaking. The boy groaned and reached for his glasses, placing them sleepily over his eyes. He had hardly slept at all the night before, his mind still on the events of the previous day. More specifically, that he had befriended a giant robot medic, which considering what he was, he considered was more or less more like a mechanic then a doctor. His eyes adjusted from the daily sleep within them, he turned his head slowly towards the source of the shaking, a young boy, younger then himself stood there. "Dude! You have to see this!" He stated.

"See what?"

"There's a Hummer outside man! Like a real Hummer!"

A Hummer, his mind immediately processed that it was Ratchet's alt mode. It could have been coincidence, but the ten year old really doubted it. That simply left the question as to what he was doing there. If was Saturday, so he really hoped that the mech hadn't been there to offer him a ride. Going to school during the week was torture enough, the last thing he needed was to go to school on the weekend. "Of course, I should have known better then to ask if I'd see him again." Dan muttered under his breath "Now he's going to show up every day." He muttered.

Getting off the cot, Dan quickly got through his daily routine. He threw on a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt, a pair of warm gloves, and a beanie hat. It wasn't particularly as warm as he'd have liked, but it was the best he could do. He carefully made his way out of the shelter calmly, noting that, sure enough, Ratchet was outside, parked. Most of the younger kids had lost interest in inspecting it as soon as they realized it was empty. Now taking to questioning who it belonged to. Dan rolled his eyes, and made his way towards the Hummer. "What are you doing here Ratchet? For a 'Robot In Disguise' you're kinda making a scene." He commented, quietly as he patted the side of the Hummer.

"I have the day off, no missions, no injuries." Ratchet noted, he then added "You asked if we could see each other again, and I haven't got anything better to do."

Dan almost wanted to face palm, now not only was he getting unwanted pity, but it was coming from a giant robot. It was the last thing he wanted, or needed, at least in his mind. He rubbed his forehead quietly, clearly a bit frustrated at the moment. What did he say to the mech? He didn't want ta pity party, but he certainly didn't want him to leave either. "Look Ratchet, I appreciate you stopping by but... I've been through this before. Ever since I was abandoned by my real parents." He turned his head towards Ratchet "I'm not looking for a parental figure who's going to get tired of me again, alright?" He questioned.

"I didn't come here looking for that." Ratchet told him, his engines rumbling "I was thinking more along the lines of friendship."

Dan looked thoughtful for a minute, clearly there was nothing wrong with that. In fact, his ten year old mind processed just how awesome having a giant robot for a friend could be. He sighed a bit, and crossed his arms, shivering a bit at the chilled air. "Come on." Ratchet opened the passengers side door calmly "Think of me as a mentor, or a friend. Whichever you choose. You don't even need to think of me as anything more. But you're slagging cold and it's freezing out there." He noted.

Dan took a deep, even breath and climbed into the passengers seat. There was nothing wrong with it, he guessed, he'd just go with the flow, see what happened, the usual. He sighed and leaned against the seats as the warm air circulated around him. He just let Ratchet drive, it may have been stupid, but it was comfortable in the seats and he almost felt the instinct to fall asleep with the feeling that enveloped him. "Where are we going anyway?" Dan finally spoke up.

"Normally on my days off, I simply drive to nowhere in particular." Ratchet explained, Dan nodded a bit "I'm an old mech, eighty in your years, my days of doing anything reckless are long done. So, it's this, or telling old war stories. And most don't want to hear them from a medic." Dan chuckled at this, he supposed he saw the mech's point "Then again, if anyone vocalizes it, I have a nice big wrench with their name on it." The mech snorted.

"You throw wrenches at people?"

"Only when they act stupid."

Dan made a quick, punctual mental note to never act stupid around Ratchet, lest he be on the receiving end of a wrench. He could only imagine what that would feel like, and needless to say, it made him cringe to even _think_ about it. "Remind me never to make you think I'm doing something stupid." Dan chuckled nervously, he took a deep breath and continued to stare out the window.

"Not to sound out of line. But how long have you been alone?" Ratchet questioned, Dan shifted uncomfortably at the question.

It wasn't that he cared that he was alone, no, he had made peace with that a long time ago. The problem was, and always had been that he hated talking about it. Like it was some big deal, like it actually mattered. He had done a fine job growing up without parents, though he had help along the way, however brief those times had been. The people at the shelter were great, friendly, nice, helpful even. "My whole life, basically. I was abandoned in the hospital, Safe Haven law and all. They put me in the local orphanage, place was horrible, so I ran away when I was three." He then shrugged "Been living at the local shelter on my own ever since." He then added "Not that big a deal though, I actually enjoy the freedom." He admitted.

"Of course you do, I'm sure you enjoy sleeping on cots, and waking up to nightmares alone." Dan didn't even know how to respond to Ratchet's reply, this mech could see through him easily, that was for sure "You don't need to put on a mask here kid. I've delt with this before, many times." The boy looked down a bit "I know it's hard to be open about the hard things about it, I learned it from a couple of friends of mine. But you need to, at the very least, try. It helps." He noted.

"I guess it's hard sometimes, but you get used to it. Ten years of it and eventually you have to... I guess, grow up." Dan explained, he crossed his arms slightly and took a deep breath "So, enough about me... What about you Ratchet? Do you have kids or something?" He questioned.

Ratchet's spark fell like it always did when he was asked that, especially considering his age. He stopped as they reached the outlook of Tranquility, unsure of how to answer the question. He, like Dan, didn't want pity about it, though he often got it, considering Ratchet lost his bonded. Much too early at that, it was decades ago human years-wise, but it seemed as though billions of years had passed. "No, I got 'married' as you would put it at a young age. And lost her nearly the human equivalence of a year later." Dan's heart went out to Ratchet as he said this, clearly that must have been hard "We wanted kids, Primus we did. But as I lost her, I never... I just never thought I could handle it on my own." Dan nodded in obvious understanding.

"I'm sorry, didn't realize it was a touchy subject for you."

Ratchet simply grunted, not sure even what to say in response, the memory still clung to him. Still haunted him, of the night that she had been shot down, not even on purpose. It was before the war, but there were still 'gangs' as they called them on Earth. She hadn't even been able to see it coming. It only horrified him more when he had learned what he had only after her death, she had been carrying his sparkling at the time. Everything he had ever wanted in this world had been taken from him that day, and for that reason, that day would forever haunt him. "It is not your fault Daniel, it simply still haunts my spark." Ratchet explained, his voice filled with honesty "And likely will until the day I offline." He added.

Dan sighed a bit, and stared out at the large, city-wide view of Tranquility they had. He almost considered asking Ratchet what had exactly happened, but knew it must have been too painful. He sighed a bit, admittedly he was enjoying the time they were spending together right now more then he'd likely say out loud. He wasn't going to grow too fond of Ratchet, he promised himself, he had gotten close before, and been hurt, but never again. "I'm still sorry, I've never had it happen, but people tell me loosing someone, it's hard." He commented, relaxing a bit "I just hope I never experience it." He added.

"I hope you'll never experience loss like I did either. I would wish it on no living being." Ratchet admitted.

They sat there in silence from that moment, simply enjoying each other's presence. It was new to Ratchet, enjoying a child's presence, but he was. Perhaps it had been at one time, pity, but at the moment, he enjoyed the closeness they were currently experiencing. Was it strange? Of course. But at the same time, Ratchet didn't mind that at all, which only made things even stranger. Why and for what reason, he wasn't quite sure, but he figured he'd worry about that later. For now, he'd simply relax, unless he was called back, and for one reason or another, he hoped he wouldn't be.


	57. Chapter 57

**CHAPTER 57**

The first time Ratchet invited Dan to spend time at NEST overnight was, in Dan's case very intimidating. He had been to NEST once or twice in the last week, but now, well, to put it simply he was forced to converse with people. Socializing had never been his strong suit, and the whole situation made him feel like a fish out of water. Most of the kids there dressed in cool clothing, had it all, and clearly looked like they belonged there. To Daniel he looked almost as though he had just crawled out of a dumpster and didn't belong there, at all. Ratchet simply told him that it was an unneeded fear, but he wasn't sure if that was just his way of comforting him or not.

Either way, Dan stuck more or less to Ratchet upon arrival, feeling that was the best thing to do. Dan simply sighed as they had entered the gathering that night, where old war stories were being told. Ratchet had said they did this twice or three times a month at the most, and it had greatly interested him. Of course, it meant socializing, but Ratchet had insisted he at least try to talk to a few people. Ratchet watched his interactions with the humans from a careful distance, but was prepared to step in if any of the other children became, well, cruel. He hated to say it, he really did, but he cared a great deal more about the boy then he had expected to.

A hand clasping his shoulder caused Ratchet to escape his thoughts, Ironhide stood beside him. The mech titled his head, and stared where Ratchet had been, more specifically at Dan. "That's the boy, then?" Ironhide questioned, Ratchet only nodded "He's a cute little squirt, that's for sure." He admitted, and turned his head towards Ratchet, calmly "You look pretty concerned for how he's interacting for someone who's only a 'friend'." Ironhide noted.

Ratchet glared at Ironhide, though he knew that tact had never been a strong suit with Ironhide. Ratchet crossed his arms, and attempted as best he could to make it seem as though he had no clue what Ironhide was talking about. Yet, he knew exactly what he was talking about. He had tried, as the week went on, to do everything he could to not get attached to Dan, but it wasn't working, much to his own slight frustrations. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Ratchet finally stated, turning his head away a bit, Ironhide simply smirked a bit, causing the medic to groan "Alright, so perhaps I have some protective instincts toward him." He grunted.

"How many protective instincts are you talking about?" Ironhide questioned "You look like you might throw a wrench at anyone that simply _looks _at the child differently." He noted.

Ratchet would have growled, if he hadn't been afraid Dan could hear them, and would take it the wrong way. But he knew Ironhide was right, he'd probably chew any child that messed with the boy and spit them out. It wasn't that he was overprotective, but as an older mech, he had this nature with most young ones, human or otherwise. "You're one to talk Ironhide, need we bring up what you did to Ben's Father?" Ratchet crossed his arms a bit "We're older, it's our nature to feel protective of those unable to protect themselves." He then added "I am nothing more then a friend." He added.

"Don't hit me with a wrench, Ratchet, but I believe you're in denial."

Ratchet smacked Ironhdide upside the helm for that one, he glared hard. He was not in denial, he refused to even consider the fact he was in denial. Dan was a friend, he wasn't like a son to him, no, he was just a friend. Perhaps, if he kept telling himself that, he figured he'd start getting it through his processor. Oh Primus, he realized, he was in denial, too far in it in fact, and whether he admitted it or not the youthfulness of the boy was causing him to care in that light. "Have I ever told you that I hate it when you're right?" Ratchet grunted, and tuned to his old friend "He doesn't want it however, he wants a friend, but as I understand, he has no interest in a 'family'." He noted.

"And you bough that?" Ironhide snorted, his optics turned to his friend "Have we not learned from our experiences with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker every street urchin says that?" He questioned, Ratchet turned his optics to the side "Most of them act tough because of the pain they hold inside. Or have you forgotten, I was there at the Youth Sector when Sideswipe broke down the first time?" Ratchet nodded his head a bit "Despite what you might say, you want children, and there's one right there in front of you. If you don't at least try and talk to 'im, yer missing the one chance you may have." He added.

Ratchet watched as Ironhide made his way through the crowd after that comment. He hated to say it, he really did, but Ironhide may have had a point. He had avoided children for so long to avoid this, even avoided the Youth Sector. Now, he had found a boy that he truly had made a connection with in a short amount of time, and _he _was the one who feared rejection. Ratchet had to be crazy, that was the only explanation, for any of this, his old age was finally catching up with him, perhaps that explained it. "Ratchet?" Dan's small voice caught his audio receptors quite quickly.

Lowering himself to the child, he stared at him calmly. "Yes, youngling, what is it?" He questioned.

"I just got invited to go to the rec room by Robbie and Ben, can i go?"

Ratchet stared at Dan, confused at why the boy thought he needed to ask permission from him. He wasn't his caretaker, he was, after all, in Dan's eyes, just a friend. He most certainly had no say in what the young boy did or didn't do. However, he understood why, he was looking for reassurance, that his actions would not be frowned upon. After all, he didn't know the rules of the base all too well, among many other reasons. "Of course." Ratchet smiled gently, he patted the child on the head with a finger gently "Go on and have fun, you don't need to stick around here." He then added, getting a bit more serious and standing up "Just none of your stunts, y'hear?" He questioned.

Dan only nodded before running off to catch up with the two teenagers. Ratchet trusted that Robbie and Ben would most certainly treat him well. After all, Ben was his Godson, and perhaps one of the nicest human beings he had the pleasure of meeting. As for Robbie, he could say the same thing in terms of how good a person he was. Therefore, he knew he had nothing to fear in allowing Dan to have a little fun with them.

...

Dan sighed as the trio entered the Rec Room, it was huge, massive even to the point where his mouth dropped a few inches. It was at least, and that was a big _at least_, twice the size of the shelter he spent most of his time at. Heck, the shelter was a closet compared to the Rec Room. He put his hands in his pockets slightly, staring at the pool, the basketball court, all of it, he felt almost as though he was weak at the knees. "Pretty awesome, isn't it?" Ben questioned, Dan could only nod slowly "So you go to the same school as Aaron and Jack, then?" Another nod "You don't talk much, do you?" He questioned.

"I only really care to talk when I have something to say." Dan admitted as they made their way toward the pool, he removed his shoes and put his feet in calmly "I mean, really, the most I've ever talked is when I'm with Ratchet. And considering I've known him for a week, even that's not a whole lot." He admitted, taking a deep breath, he looked at them "So, what's it like, living with them?" He questioned.

"Honestly?" Robbie asked, he turned to the younger boy, who nodded "About the exact same as living with human parents. They didn't live that differently from us on their planet. And they haven't really changed here on Earth." He admitted, he shrugged his shoulders a bit, Ben only nodded in agreement "Though life isn't exactly normal, not when Decepticons are around anyway. You could say we sometimes get the 'wrong' kind of excitement." He added, then tilted his head "But the way things are going with Ratchet, I'm sure you'll find all of this out soon enough." He added.

Dan felt a lump in his throat, that still didn't sit right with him. Growing close usually led to pain, as far as he was concerned. He almost wanted to correct the boy, tell him he was just a friend, but he didn't want to seem aggressive. He had an attitude problem, but he didn't try to be aggressive. Instead, he simply shrugged his shoulders himself, and leaned back. "Ratchet's just my friend, he said so himself." He settled for his reply as this, and shook his head "Besides, families are overrated. I grew up without one and I'm fine." He noted, trying his best to lie on that subject "I'm fine with it." He added.

Ben and Robbie exchanged knowing glances, Dan was hiding a deeper need. Robbie already guessed that he had been hurt by potential adopters before, being the only one of the group to experience those kinds of situations. He nodded his head, and looked at Dan, knowing that he needed to say this. "You know, I felt the same way before I met Magnus." Dan turned his head toward Robbie "I was with a real shitty Foster Father for a long time. I'd been promised adoption at least six times." He bit his lip slightly "You shouldn't be afraid to just open up, try..." He began.

Dan only stared away, silence falling over the three. He could only wonder if Robbie made a point, deep inside, he knew Ratchet felt that way about him, even the slightest bit. But the question remained if he was ready, to accept a family, to accept the possibility of being hurt again. He decided to let it go for now though, he wouldn't think about it this early, nor would he get his hopes up. He'd been hurt before, and as he often said, he'd never let it happen again.

And no one, not even Ratchet, was going to change that. At least, that's what he thought.


	58. Chapter 58

**CHAPTER 58**

The med bay was open to most visitors to NEST, that night it was Dan's turn. It was rather huge, he noted, and the bed under him was surprisingly quite comfortable. The Med Bay felt more at home in his opinion, about the same time, lots of beds around him. Though in the case of his 'home' it would have been cots. Ratchet watched him relax a bit on the bed, and smiled a bit sadly. He wasn't going to approach him about what he had talked to Ironhide about tonight, that much he had decided on. He needed time to properly think over the ramifications. There weren't many, as a medic much of his time was spent on-base, rather then on missions. As a result., he'd probably be around Dan more then most of the other Autobots, something a ten year old needed.

But even out of denial, he did feel like he was still too old, that he would do something wrong. That having such a late start might make him more prone to screw up things. He knew the last bit was most likely a very wrong thought, considering wisdom came with age, but still. Ratchet took a deep breath, stepping over to the bed with his holoform, he seated himself beside Dan. The boy, to his surprise, for the first time since they'd met seemed quite preoccupied. "Are you alright?" Ratchet questioned, Dan looked up at the mech's questioning "You seemed to have a fun time tonight, why do you look depressed?" He questioned.

Dan thought to say he wasn't, a blatant lie, but knew the medic would catch him on that. "I kinda am, I know it sounds crazy, coming from me. But I kinda... Like it here." Dan looked away, he smiled a bit "Everyone's nice, and I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't fun. I mean, those stories tonight were really interesting." He admitted, he bit his lip and looked away "It's unusual, coming from me since I would normally hate all of this." He commented, quietly.

Ratchet felt stunned, having never thought he'd hear those words escape Dan's lips. The boy had so long preached he enjoyed it at the shelter, yet here he was, admitting he had truly enjoyed the day on-base. But how did he even handle this, he was never good at these things. He had never been good at them, no matter how hard he tried. Of course, considering he had never considered letting a human stay with him didn't help things any more. But at this point, he wouldn't kick Dan out, not if he truly wanted to stay, under his care or otherwise. Whether Dan was too stubborn to say it or not, he NEEDED this.

"Well, no one said you had to leave tonight." Ratchet noted, he turned himself on the bed carefully, and stared the boy in the eyes "It would require talking with the NEST and Government officials. But they agreed to you staying the night with no qualms, and it would not be the first time." Dan looked down "But I would be honored, if you would accept me as your caretaker, even for a short time." He noted, Dan stared at Ratchet by this point, his face seemed to be in a state of confusion "I know what you will say, and I am very much aware you are _not _in need of a family in your mind. But everyone needs a family Danny." Dan looked up in surprise at the nickname "I wouldn't be much of an Autobot if I turned you away, if you want to stay, it can be arranged." He noted.

Dan took a moment to take this all in, he didn't know whether or not to say 'yes' or 'no' quite honestly. Ratchet was a good guy, even if he was a good guy he hardly knew. And he knew that being a caretaker didn't mean an acting parent, it just meant he was taking care of him. It wasn't adoption, which in the past, had never happened, even if it was promised, he had always been let down, denied, given up on. Why would now be any different? Even if by some strange chance he only ever acted as a caretaker? Dan felt an arm wrap around his shoulder gently, and stared up at Racthet. "I'm not like the caretakers that abandoned you in the past." He said, his voice quiet and smooth "I will _not _abandon you, of that you have my word." He added.

And for some reason, as odd as it was, Dan was inclined to believe Ratchet was serious. It wasn't that often that he trusted someone like that, but something about his actions, and his tone was more sincere then he'd heard in a long time. He twiddled his thumbs, and let Ratchet keep the arm around him as he considered the prospect. No more praying there was room at the shelter, no more waking up to nightmares alone, no more having no one to go to when he needed help. As much as he hated to admit it, Dan did want all of those things, and Ratchet could provide it, and was willing to. "If you're really willing to give me a chance... I don't see why not." Dan admitted, speaking quietly "I just don't want... I don't want to be hurt again." He added.

"And you won't be, I'll be your caretaker. Think of me as a mentor. Someone who's there for you. But doesn't necessarily have to be your parent." Ratchet rubbed the child's back carefully, he stared at Dan slowly "I am not the type to abandon or stop caring for someone because of the little things. Like I'm sure previous people have with you. I will not abandon you, when I commit to something, I stick to it." He added, and ran a hand along his hair carefully "I've never taken on such a role before, but I assure you, in my old age, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. After all, my job rarely requires field work." He added.

Dan nodded his head slowly, his stomach in knots, he felt nerves he didn't know he had. He had just been offered a home, out of all the people that had considered taking him in, he had never been taken into their home, much less offered to stay. Yet Ratchet had known him all of a week, and had done both for him. He sighed, and removed his glasses carefully, setting them on the table next to him, he crawled under the bed, allowing Ratchet to adjust the covers over him. Being tucked in felt strange, but it was a good strange, rather then an awkward one. "Ratchet?" He began as the older mech began to head back for his office, he stopped before taking any more then two steps "Thank you... For trying to help me." He said quietly, and he truly meant what he said, which even surprised himself.

Ratchet turned, his mouth curved into a smile at the young boy. He knew he was making the right choice by helping him, just by that. The boy had been cold, and hard a week ago, but just by reaching out to him even the slightest, he had made the boy happier. Or at least, that was what the medic had taken from the comment he made. He smiled gently and stepped forward, he gently ran his hands through the sheepish boy's hair and smiled. "You are very welcome, youngling." He noted, retracting his hand "Rest well, Danny." He added, continuing with the nickname he had surprised himself by giving his newfound charge.

Dan smiled sincerely for the first time in he couldn't remember how long. And on that note, for the first time in possibly even longer, he felt a sense of safety and security that he had always missed. He allowed the dreams to overtake him as he snuggled deep into the soft mattress, knowing that the next day was the start of a brand new life.

...

Ratchet had never felt so nervous before in his life then when he awakened from recharge the following morning. A part of him wondered if he had been crazy the previous night, as he knew that tonight was the first day of having a ten year old in his care. Now, it truly hit him, he had officials to speak to, fresh clothing to obtain, and perhaps, contacts to create to replace Dan's always-broken pair of glasses. Such was a lot to do, but Ratchet had promised Dan he would not give up, and when he promised something, he was not the type to go back on his promises. When he exited into the main Med Bay, he found Dan laying on his chest, snoring gently. He ran a scan, to be sure he was alright, call it habit, or paranoia, but he was like this with most of his friends. Satisfied he was safe and sound he sighed, and seated himself at the desk.

He had to consider several things before he approached the officials. How he'd approach asking to take custody of Dan, to take care of him, without necessarily adopting him. Yet in a way that would assure that he wouldn't be put into the Foster Care Program. It wouldn't have been a bad idea, had it not been painfully obvious that Dan would trust no one but him to keep him safe for some odd reason. He'd likely run away the moment he was taken to another home, and Ratchet did not want to see Dan go back on the streets. On Cybertron, caretaking without adopting until someone came of age was not unusual, and even accepted, but it was not the same way with humans. Though it did work that way for some Foster Families.

He sighed a bit, he'd have to figure out an approach, and he would find a way to make this work. Dan needed him, and in a strange, unusual even, way, Ratchet knew he needed the boy as well. Primus had given him a second chance to be a Father to someone, even if it wasn't at that level yet. Perhaps someday, but not quite yet. He just knew that this boy was there for a reason, especially considering the day they met. The day they met, had been the day his sparkmate had died in human months and days, it was a strange coincidence. But he knew it was fate, there was no other explanation in his mind.

"Ratchet, you old fool." Ratchet muttered under his breath, and chuckled "You choose now to believe in fate? You're stretching yourself thin." He added.

Yet Ratchet knew, somehow he knew that Dan coming into his path was fate. Perhaps a gift from Primus as well, but it may have been one in the same as well. As hard as he knew this whole situation would be, he was confident he was doing the right thing. And as far as he was concerned, he refused to step down from doing what he knew was right, and what he felt needed to be done. He just hoped the officials would see things his way, because Primus forbid, he loose the one chance at even a semi-family he was being given.


	59. Chapter 59

I think after three tries at a second story, all of which I ended up disliking by Chapter 2 I'm sticking with this story guys. So I'm sorry if the constant 'New Stories' disappearing disappointed anyone. I just couldn't wrap my mind around them, so I may as well stick with this one. Probably is the best thing to do with school coming up next month anyway.

...

**CHAPTER 59**

Dan stared at himself in the mirror, and almost didn't believe what he saw. The contacts were in, and the new clothing was on, and for the first time, he looked like an average kid. Getting his hair cut, he hadn't been so crazy about, but the medium length hairstyle admittedly looked better. Though it felt unusual to be dressed, and look so much different for him, he wasn't going to lie, he liked the change. He liked no longer looking like an odd man out, like the kind of kid you'd hide your wallets when around. "The clothing is a little big on you." Ratchet noted, Dan turned his head to stare at the older mech "But I would say you will, as you humans put it, grow into them as time passes." He added.

"I hardly recognize myself Ratchet." Dan noted, he turned around and looked up at the mech "But it's a good change, different, but I'll get used to it." He admitted, and put his hands in his pockets "Feels much better not being in my own filth anyway." He further admitted, though by the chuckle, he was joking a little.

Ratchet smiled, it had been about three weeks since Dan had arrived. He would have gotten all of this done sooner, but the negotiations for taking Dan in had taken some time. Eventually, however, it was decided that he could stay. It was at the dismay of a few human individuals, but Ratchet had proven himself as a worthy caretaker, and one that would raise Dan properly. Ratchet smiled brightly, and scooped his young charge up into his palm. "Yes, there is the added advantage of that." Ratchet chuckled lightly "I do believe you'd be taken from my care within a week or two more, had I not gotten this done. You couldn't live on other humans old clothes forever." He noted.

Dan smiled and nodded in agreement, allowing Ratchet to settle him on his shoulder calmly. Accepting physical gestures of affection such as this had been difficult, but the longer he remained there, the easier it was becoming. Ratchet had him on his shoulder's most of the time now, much like Ironhide did with Ben, and Optimus did with Jack. He figured it was an Autobot's way of showing their kids off. And though Dan was not technically Ratchet's son, he knew the elderly mech considered him to be one. "You know, I think I'm finally getting used to being this high up." Dan commented, he stared at Ratchet "Then again, you can't blame me, right? First time I was up here my glasses fell off and I could barely see anything."

"Never have to worry about though, thank Primus." Ratchet poked the boy in the stomach lightly "Those contacts will take getting used to. But they will likely save your life someday. As we won't have to worry about the glasses falling off if you are ever in a dangerous situation." He noted, he sighed a bit and looked at Dan "Primus forbid that either, lest I get myself hurt in combat. Best believe I'd be taking some names if you're ever hurt." He added.

"Yeah, you'll give those Decepticons your wrenches of doom." Dan teased.

Ratchet grinned from receptor to receptor, the boy may have had a dry sense of humor, but as he did too, he enjoyed it. Dan was the perfect kid for him, he had the dry humor, he didn't beg for attention, yet, he enjoyed spending time with him and accepted affection. All the qualities Ratchet had hoped for in a child, if he ever got the chance to even take care of one as he was now. "You'd be surprised at just how deadly I can be with a wrench, m'boy." Ratchet snorted lightly, and stared at Dan with a wink "I can be even deadlier with that then most are with a gun." He exaggerated.

"Of course you can Ratchet, of course you can."

Ratchet chuckled a bit, he poked the boy in the ribs gently, and allowed the boy to settle into his shoulder before he exited the med bay. Normally, before he had taken Dan in he hadn't exactly been the type to constantly be seen out his Med Bay. But he got out more often now, whether it was going to his school to pick him up or not. Though Dan had lost his ability to attend the academy after Ratchet took him in, it had been easy to put him through school at the local Elementary School. It was highly unlikely any one would want to use him against Ratchet anyway, Ratchet's role was a medic, nothing the Decepticons could use against them. "Yeah, well, it's unlikely the Decepticons would ever target you anyway." Ratchet noted, he crossed his arms a bit and snorted "I'm not exactly at the top of their hit list, unlike Wheeljack. Considering I don't do much more then act as a medic." He admitted, his voice full of honesty.

Dan chuckled, he supposed Ratchet had a point, his job wasn't dangerous. Though he was aware that Ratchet did sometimes go into battle, he understood it wasn't often. Dan didn't complain about that, that was for sure. Ratchet was around often, and it meant that when he had needed him, as long as he wasn't working, Ratchet had the time to talk. It was something he wasn't used to, at all, but also something he was more then thankful to have. He wasn't his Dad, and quite frankly, he wasn't sure either of them were ready for that type of relationship between them yet, but it was darn near the closest thing to having one he'd ever experienced. "Yeah well, let's never test that theory, okay? I've seen those things around town before. They're scary." Dan let a shiver go up his spine "Not to mention the stories I hear around here." He added.

"Don't even worry about it m'boy, as long as you're around here, nothings going to happen to you." Ratchet noted, his smile remaining broad "Honestly, and without exaggeration, when I want to, I can be a very frightening fighter as well. In fact, back in the days before I became a medic, I was in the fighting circuit, or Gladiatorial ring." He grunted a bit and thought back for a moment "Primus, that was so long ago." He noted.

Dan tried, even for a few moments, to even picture Ratchet as a fighter like that. But he could barely keep a straight face when he did, it was too amusing, just _too_ amusing to picture the large yellow mech like that. Ratchet was such a soft natured mech, despite his short temper. When he didn't have a short temper, and wasn't doing his job, Dan could hardly imagine him harming a fly. Then again, he figured that he might have just been seeing the softest side of Ratchet's personality that, perhaps, he had a way of bringing out. "I can't see a big ole softie like you being a gladiator." Dan replied, he stared at Ratchet calmly, and crossed his arms "I mean, you have a temper, but you're not that kind of person, not from what you've shown me." He admitted.

"You'd be surprised, I was far less good with my temper in my youth." Ratchet admitted, he stared at the boy calmly "I still have issues with my temper, I won't deny it. But in my younger, more formidable years, I was a true force to be reckoned with." He then added "I saw the worst of my kind even before the war began. And I regret to say, for many vorns I was one of them." He noted, his opitcs turned to look at Dan, who seemed to be clinging to every word "One of many reasons you are here with me right now. I know that such things can happen to children when they are on the streets, and Primus forbid... You experience anything like I did." He noted.

"You were homeless?"

Ratchet stared at Dan slowly, the human was probably the first person to know any of this. It was a part of his history he tried to ignore, how he had been a street child on Cybertron until he was older then Dan in human years. That the Father he had been adopted by was not his real Father. The fact that, at thirteen vorns, he had been one of the toughest Gladiators around. It was a past, he felt, was best left far in the past. "I was, and it is a story that I'd ask you not tell anyone. My past, before my own 'parents' found me, is one I regret." He then added, quietly "I want to put it behind me, and no one. Not even Ironhide, my oldest friend, has any idea of this." He noted.

Dan stared in surprise, shock even at this fact, Ratchet had confided in him a secret. No one had done that before, no one had _trusted_ him enough to keep a secret before for that matter. "I promise Ratchet, mum's the word." Dan smiled, knowing that he owed him that much, if anything, he owed keeping the secrets he confided in him "I'm just surprised, that's all, wasn't trying to make you think about what you didn't want to." He shook his head, Ratchet only smiled "What?" He questioned.

"You don't have to worry about it Danny." Ratchet told him simply, continuing to smile at him calmly "I told you by my own choice, had I not wanted to, i would not have." He admitted.

Dan nodded his head a bit, and allowed him to carry him off in silence. He wasn't sure why, but knowing a bit more about Ratchet, even the slightest bit made him feel even closer to the mech then he had felt to begin with. Perhaps it was knowing that Ratchet knew more about what he went through then he initially let on, perhaps because he trusted him enough to tell him about these things, he didn't know. He just knew that he was slowly starting to enjoy his current situation more. And maybe, just maybe, he considered, he might just be able to in time see Ratchet as a Father after all.


	60. Chapter 60

Saw Harry Potter yesterday! Was still blown away for hours after, but now I'm sad. :( Why must all my favorite series END! Oh well, now the long wait for Percy Jackson 2 begins. :D

**...  
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**CHAPTER 60**

Benjamin Dale Hide. The name ran through Ben even the day after it had all been made official, he was still totally on cloud nine. All ties to the Turner family were destroyed now, he wasn't the son of Ryan Turner, the sadistic freak that had 'raised' him. He was now the son of Ironhide, Autobot Weapons Specialist, and still surprisingly the greatest person he'd ever come to know. He didn't know if he'd ever totally wrap his mind around it, the whole idea. But he was happy, for once in his entire life, he felt truly happy knowing he was Ironhide's and no one was going to take him from the mech that had, in his mind, saved his life. There had been a quiet celebration the night before, with the other Autobot kids, the Autobots, Dana, and the Lennox and Epps families. But it had been quiet, and Ben had actually preferred it that way. It had been a barbecue on the beach, hosted by the Lennox's to be exact

Ben felt a bit groggy and tired from the night before, it wasn't that he wanted to collapse, but more that he had been up until about three. Against Ironhide's better judgement, though the mech had actually carried him to bed, much to the amusement of all in attendance. That day, however, he tried to perk up, it was the first day of the rest of his life, so to speak. His first day where he could proudly call himself Ironhide's son. He sighed, making his way downstairs that morning, he took a deep breath, seeing Will looked about as tired as he felt. "Ah, the boy of the hour is finally awake." Will jested, halfway into making scrambled eggs "Want any?" He questioned.

"Looks good, I'll take some." Ben smiled sheepishly.

Ben knew by the look in Will's eyes he wanted to talk, more then likely about his Father. Will had tried to approach him several times, but Ben had avoided it each time. Will sighed, finishing the breakfast, he stet one plate down for himself before bringing the other to Ben. "Uncle Will, I don't want to talk about it right now." Ben immediately told him, Will looked at him and sighed "Today's supposed to be a happy day. Can we just talk about it later? Like, in a week, when Dad isn't really happy?" He questioned.

"Alright, alright, but we'll need to talk about what happened sometime." Will nodded, knowing Ben was right, though Ironhide would not be happy it was kept from him so long "I hope you do know the longer we keep this from your Dad though, the more pissed he'll be." He added, Ben nodded between a mouthful of eggs "I mean, face it, your Dad isn't exactly calm when it comes to Ryan."

Ben looked at Will, knowing the older man was dead on. Ironhide was going to furious, probably blow a wall off of the NEST Base, when he learned that Ryan was stalking him. It would be even worse now, for that matter, considering the fact Ironhide was legally his Father now. The only connection Ryan had to him was on a birth certificate, and since his records would show his adoption certificate more prominently now, it didn't matter. Not to mention Ryan had been taken off his emergency contacts, replaced with Ironhide, Will, and Sarah over a month ago. Ryan had been cut out of his life, but the teen knew he'd never stop pursuing him for revenge.

"I know Uncle Will, but he can't get near me. You guys wouldn't let him." Ben told him flatly, though it was quite obvious he was serious, he shook his head "I think I can imagine you breaking his neck, or at least every breakable bone in his body if he came within a foot of me. And besides, he really can't you guys got a restraining order, remember?" He knew it didn't do much good with the Decepticons on Ryan's side, but it did slightly help "I'm going to school on base until we find him, so it's not like it's easy to get to me." He finished the eggs calmly and brought it over to the sink, washing it off "You both know I couldn't be any safer if Dad, Mirage, and Optimus formed a living barrier outside our house." He added.

Will smiled a bit, he did have a point, what could Ryan possibly do without getting most of them after him? He was now dealing with the son of an Autobot, not his son anymore, and hurting the son of an Autobot was suicide, as was harming any child of an Autobot. He nodded his head a bit, and looked at Ben calmly. "But hey, if ANYTHING else happens, you come to your Dad and I. Do you understand?" Will questioned, he pointed at Ben with a cocked eyebrow "I won't have that bastard doing anything to you again. Especially since I'm one of the few people that know just how far he went one day." The boy stared down "And I don't want it to happen again." He added.

"I know Uncle Will, and I appreciate it."

Ben was hesitant for a moment, but he stepped forward slowly and wrapped his arms around Will in a hug. He had never hugged his Godfather before, but he felt the need to right now. He had done so much for him, protected him, cared about him, let him into his home. Ben felt that Will deserved to be, in his mind, a part of his family. "Thanks Uncle Will." He felt the Major's arms around him for a moment "I really appreciate, everything you've done for me." He added.

"Hey, don't even worry about it bud." Will ran his hand through his Godson's hair carefully before releasing him "You're family now, and when you're in my family? No one messes with you." He added, then grinned a bit at his Godson fondly "Now kiddo, you're Dad's waiting outside, he needs to get to base. So, let's just act like this whole conversation never happened." Will noted, he put an arm around Ben's shoulders with a wink "Unless Ryan tries anything, I promise not to say a thing." He explained.

Ben's thoughts strayed for a moment, thinking about everything in his life from living with Ryan to now. He had been alone in Ryan's house, no close family, no one the least bit loving. Now, he had Will, Sarah, and Annabelle as well as Ironhide around him. And if Will and Sarah weren't the most loving Godparents he'd ever experienced, he didn't know who was. He was pretty sure that they loved him at least, maybe not as strongly as Ironhide, but still loved him like their own. It was an honor to have a large family like that, a large, loving family. But at the same time, he knew it still was odd for him. It was new, and as much as he loved it, it felt strange.

"Yeah, we should get going." Ben told him, he smiled a bit.

He'd figure it all out later, he didn't want to keep thinking like that. After all, he should be happy he'd found a family that loved him, not all kids like him got that. Some were stuck with their abusers or in Foster Homes their whole lives. He had been one of the extremely lucky few, and he'd never forget that. Ironhide was waiting outside as usual, for the two of them. To take Ben to class and to take Will to work with him, that was usually the plan. "You two are later then usual." Ironhide commented as Ben shifted his backpack over his shoulder "Anything I should be worried about?" He questioned.

For a moment, Ben froze, he didn't want to give it away, so he had to be careful. Luckily, Will did it for him, being smart about it, he was more then thankful. "Nah, he was just late waking up, kid was up unil three after all." Will replied, he smiled at Ben, he patted the boy's shoulder "You have nothing to worry about, except maybe his grades if he passes out." He noted, Ben only chuckled a little at that.

Ben threw his backpack into the passengers seat, and Will climbed into the driver's seat as usual. Ironhide seemed to buy it, which Ben felt at ease and relaxed by, after all, the last thing he needed was to be poked and proded for information. He sighed a bit and watched out the passenger's seat window. The school on Diego Garcia was small and tucked away, but he did like it because everyone in it seemed nice, as opposed to Tranquility High School. Slowly driving up to the front of the school, Ironhide came to a stop. His holoform appeared between Will and Ben and turned, smiling a bit. "Be sure to give them your official name change paperwork." Ironhide told him with a smile, he kissed him gently on the head "Have a good day son, love you." He added.

"Love you too Dad."

Ben smiled and climbed out of the alternate mode, Will seemed to watch the two hug with an amused grin. If Ironhide was going to act this way from now on, now that he was officially a Dad, he was going to have a lot of amusing times ahead, that much he knew. Ironhdie caught onto the grin almost immediately. "What's so funny?" Ironhide questioned.

"It's just... Still funny to watch you be a Dad."

Ironhide simply smiled at Will, clearly, he didn't mind showing his soft side to Ben. Heck, Will had seen his soft side with Annabelle, this wasn't news to him, as long as it wasn't around strangers, he figured everything would be fine. He sighed a bit, and pulled out from the school with Will's hands firmly on the steering wheel. For a long, hard moment, he found it hard to do so, to leave his son now that he was really his, but he brought himself to do it. Knowing that he had to let him go to school, even if the slightest nerves about it all made him feel the need to protect him.

Now began the even longer journey of duty of _learning_ to be a real parent.


	61. Chapter 61

**CHAPTER 61**

Being in the Military, and the hours he worked, Will hated rude awakenings on his day's off. Waking up to doorbells at four in the morning, was among the many things he hated. But that day, he hated it even more when he opened the door and saw who stood in it. Ryan Turner composed himself, and made a failed attempt to seem intimidating as the door opened. Will suppressed an amused snort at the thought the man expected himself to be intimidated. But the look on his face was anything but amused, he looked as though he could leap out and strangle the life of the man right there and then. But since he didn't want to wake any of the neighbors up, yet, he avoided it. "Get. Off. My. Property." Will said flatly, he attempted to slam the door, but Ryan's foot quickly stopped it "Ooooh you REALLY don't want to be pulling shit like that. Ironhide's in recharge in the garage, I'm sure he'd be happy to see you." He told him bluntly.

"What's he going to do really? Blast me to pieces on his own base?" Ryan tilted his head in amusement at Will's non-withstanding guard of the door "Major Lennox, as his Godfather, I must tell you, you take the job far too seriously. If I had come to take Ben, Lazerbeak would have flown through his bedroom window and snatched him twenty minutes ago. I wouldn't have even been around." Will still didn't budge, his hard glare never letting the man out of his sight for a second "Now Major, the polite thing to do, would be to let a man in." He told him almost threateningly.

"The polite thing is what I'm doing. Restraining myself from taking the handgun I sleep with and shooting your balls off." Will kept his usual calm demeanor, and though Ryan didn't budge, he saw the man gulp "You think I'm kidding? It's a military regulation handgun, some have them, some don't. I, for one, have it for protection, and considering by shooting that off I'd be protecting more kids from a bastard like you. I'd say this counts." He told him, Will removed the gun from his back pocket, slowly "So you have got five. Frickin'. SECONDS to get your sorry ass off my property."

Ryan stared at Will in the eyes, but Will didn't even waver. If there was one thing he knew, it was that he wasn't letting this man in the same house of him. He wasn't letting him near Sarah, Annabelle, and most of all, he wasn't letting him _anywhere_ near Ben. He knew the man wanted to talk, whatever it was about, he didn't care. All he knew is that his track record made Will more then certain that trusting the man not to pull something. The man backed up slightly, and frowned, Will opened the door a bit, putting his gun in full view for emphasis. "All this trouble over one brat, one that spied on you." Ryan snorted lightly, he shook his head and gave a sly grin "It's so amusing, Major Lennox. But as you and Ironhide must learn, not everyone can be protected. Not with yet _another_ battle looming over your heads." He noted.

"You'll never have him."

"Oh, that time you almost sounded sure of yourself." Ryan snickered a bit at Will's determination, clearly, he was not about to take him seriously "You're a dim, protective, moron, William Lennox. The fact you continue to care so much for everyone that gets even slightly close to you. Oh, what a fatal flaw to have." He then added, throwing his arms up "I bet you couldn't even bring yourself to pull the trigger. Knowing your child and Godson would hear it, and see what you'd done." Will could feel his body shaking in rage, he dropped the gun "Oh, or your pregnant wife? I understand she's what, four months along with your second child?" He then added "It'd be a shame if something happened to a Mommy with child." He added.

Will couldn't contain his rage anymore, his fist connected with Ryan's jaw so fast he had no time to process the three teeth that flew from his mouth. It was one thing to show up at his house like this, uninvited and in the middle of the night, but now he was threatening Ben, Annabelle, Sarah, and his second child he had only learned of weeks before. How he had learned Sarah was expecting, he didn't know or care, all he knew was that this man had crossed a line that should _never_ be crossed with him. A second fist, this time to the ribs, though Ryan caught this one, he kicked out, and sent Will back. "Oh please, William. Do you know who you're dealing with? Army Special Forces, five years of it. I was fighting wars since I was younger then you." He noted.

Will growled lightly, but before he could land the third punch, a blast fired, mere inches from Ryan's feet. Optimus Prime, whom had been taking a drive down the residential area, retracted his smoking gun into the hood of his vehicle mode. Slowly transforming, Optimus stalked his way forward, the look on his optics said it all, he'd heard it all, and he wasn't happy. If Ryan's pants weren't soaking wet before he had come to the home, they were now. An angry Ironhide was one thing, but when Optimus was angry, he was a force few ever lived to tell the tale of. Optimus stepped forward, slowly, and crouched down low so that Ryan Turner might see him in the optics.

"So you're the scum Ironhide speaks of, Ryan Turner." Optimus's voice was eerily, unnervingly calm, even for him "I am certain you know who _I _am." There was a certain edge in his tone now, Ryan nodded his head slowly "Then I do question, do you have any reason I shouldn't chuck you in the ocean, right now?" He questioned, this time, simply trying to strike fear into the man "If your son were not in the other room, I can assure you, I'd be doing worse. It is people like you, who give your race a very _terrible _name." He poked the man in the chest, Ryan at this point could barely get a coherent sound out let alone a word "Get. Off. Of. My. Base. If you wish to live another moment." The tone in Optimus's voice was one unlike Will had ever heard from him.

Inside, he noted Ben had sat up in bed having heard the commotion, stunned by the Autobot Leaders actions. Ryan stood his ground, or at least, as best as he could with a twenty-eight foot tall giant robot looming over him. He knew the only thing saving him right now was that Optimus did not hurt a human, not without just cause that was. But right now, considering Optimus, even unrelated to Ben, still considered the boy a part of his faction, and therefore would not let this man leave here alive if he didn't leave peacefully. "You have no right to kick me off this base. I could frickin' OWN THIS BASE if I wanted to." Ryan gritted his teeth.

"I am leader of NEST, sir. And I can tell you, while not the nicest man either. Director Galloway would much rather gladly arrest you on the grounds of letting you rot in JAIL rather then let you go." Optimus was very careful in gripping the man by the back of his shirt and lifting him up "Ben, has become a close friend, and ally to me. You could say, as his Father Ironhide is like a brother to me, I consider him a surrogate nephew. Do you know what I do to those that hurt my family, especially through _rape_, whether they truly are family or hold a place in my spark that is much like a family member?" Ryan shook his head, trembling all over "I introduce them to what I call the Sharkticons. Think of what you call a Piranha, double the size, and add Shark-like teeth." Optimus exaggerated and tossed the man down, he glared coldly "Now, GET. OUT. And leave Ben, ALONE." He noted.

Optimus was certain he'd never seen a human run as fast as he did that day. That time, he was most certain that the man would never show his face again. Perhaps he would in battle, being a Decepticon ally, but he would personally be the one to do him in the next time he dared show up on NEST. He knew Ironhide could have killed him, but all Ironhide wanted was the man to leave him alone, and while he didn't listen to Ironhide, Optimus knew as powerful, tall, and strong as he was, the man _would _listen. Will looked at Optimus. "Jeez, and I thought I was scary to him." Will chuckled.

"No one harms a member of my faction, let alone doesn't leave them alone as he did." Optimus told him, he looked upon Will with a curt nod "I have seen many sparklings of our Autobots on Cybertron, lost to abusive creators whom refused to leave them alone." He shook his head a bit "I refuse to stand back and add Ben to that list." Optimus took a deep breath, then commed a few of the on-duty guards to make sure that Ryan didn't try and make a return, he looked towards Ben "I'd say you'll be safe from here on out Ben." He told the boy with a wink before transforming down into his truck mode "Take the morning off Major, clearly, you won't be getting enough sleep tonight." He commented.

As Optimus left and Will made his way back into the house, Ben laid back against the bed. Wondering if Ironhide had heard what happened or not, he knew he likely had, but had let Optimus do the job, as clearly, the leader had definitely had it handled. He sighed, and leaned his head against his pillows, allowing his eyes to close slowly, for once, he felt satisfied that Ryan would not bother him anymore. Though he did know it wouldn't be the last time the Autobots saw him, by any means, he knew it was the last time he would be bothering him or the Lennox's. And for that, he was more then thanful.

...

Originally was going to have Ironhide do this confrontation. But felt Optimus would scare Ryan more into leaving Ben alone. We will see him again, as he is a main antagonist of course, but this is the point where Ryan's torment of Ben ends. :)


	62. Chapter 62

And now the return of one of my favorite TF humans, I've been dying for an excuse for this guy to show up. As well as one of my favorite Autobots, Wheeljack. :)

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**CHAPTER 62**

Robbie had no idea how to take Seymour Simmons, and he'd only ever met him three times. He didn't know what annoyed him more, that he called him Alien Boy, or Sam 2.0 (on occasion), or the fact the man never shut up. Even now that he wasn't the only one living with the Autobots, he had called him the former four times. Yet he knew they needed him, he hated the fact that they did, but they did. He was the expert on this kind of things and if anyone could figure out the prototype's usage, it was both him and Wheeljack, but they needed to work together. He was thankful for him, he supposed, in that way, but for the most part, the man simply annoyed him. "You're telling me a fifteen year old KID made this?" Simmons turned to the blue Einstein-Like Autobot known as Wheeljack who nodded simply "Not to get off-topic, but please tell me you've taken the kid as an apprentice." He noted.

"Honestly, I've never had the honor of meeting the lad." Wheeljack admitted, he looked at Simmons with a shrug of his shoulders "When I get the pleasure, I plan to approach the youngling on it. I agree, there is much he needs to learn, however, for now we need to focus on what he did know" He began "It looks like a VERY concentrated, small, device that creates a Space Bridge. Not big, but big enough to take perhaps five or ten people at a time without disintegrating an organic creature." He shook his head a bit "Very, very complicated, but as primitively made as the device is, it's obvious that it was made by a young child." He nodded his head "Ben, as he is called, definitely made this, but I have no idea if he knew precisely what it was for." He added.

"We knew that 'Jack." Robbie finally spoke up, having been watching out of pure curiosity "What we don't get is why they'd make Ben build it, and not one of them."

"Alien Boy makes a point."

Robbie rolled his eyes at Simmons a bit, and tried not to bark back at him not to call him that for the upteenth time that day. For some reason though, Robbie was beginning to realize saying that again would have simply fallen on def ears. Robbie was friends with Wheeljack through his Father and Mirage, but Simmons, he had a budding rivalry with, yeah, that sounded right, budding rivalry. On account of that there was little to no chance of him listening whereas Wheeljack might have, if he even called him that.

"Robbie does indeed have a point. Truly bizarre that Megatron would ask a human to do so." Wheeljack pushed his glasses like attachments further up his nose "If we did not run scans before, I would suggest, perhaps, Ben is not as human as we believed. That he was a Techno-Organic, but Ratchet and I both did scans after we learned about his Father's connections to the Decepticons. So we know this is not the case." He stated very carefully, the crossed his arms "It is possible that, perhaps, they tested Ben with designs like this before however. And since it worked out for him before, he must have... You know, worked for him they asked him to make it." He noted.

"But why?" Simmons questioned, he stared at Wheeljack with a frown "The real question is WHY? Don't they have ways of doing it themselves?"

"That question is easy, they needed it to be inconspicuous, something that would look like a toy to the naked eye." Wheeljack noted, he looked between the two of them, both looked intrigued "They likely plan to duplicate, or multiply them several times. In order to use this in vast numbers, carried by, what I can guess will be children." Robbie crossed his arms as he listened carefully "I don't know how or when, that will be more difficult to pinpoint. But it could take upwards to a year to duplicate these. It is not something we need to worry of immediately, but at some point, we will need to." He added.

Robbie opened his mouth to speak again when Magnus made his way into the lab. Of course, the first thought on his mind was that he was busted, considering he was supposed to be studying for his Math Test at the moment. Of course, Magnus didn't look upset, but he did turn to look at him with a frown, and a look of obvious disappointment. "Robert, you're supposed to be studying, not bothering Wheeljack and Agent Simmons." Robbie took a deep breath "Sorry lil man I know you wanna help, but there's not much you can do at this point. Let them do their work." He added.

"Alright, alright I'm going Dad." Robbie made his way toward the door and turned back "I want to know what you find out though. I mean, this could effect all of us right?" Wheeljack nodded at his and Robbie took that as a response to both comments "Alright then, uh, sorry for bugging you guys." He noted.

"I know you were trying to help, don't worry." Wheeljack nodded slightly.

Robbie nodded in response, and made his way out with Magnus right behind him. He knew a lecture was surely coming, as he had been shirking his school duties more often lately. But could Magnus blame him, he had a lot on his mind lately, and he couldn't exactly help that. Unless he suddenly became a techno-organic with the power of persuasion and persuaded Megatron to stop fighting the war. "Dad, I know I've been really putting off schoolwork." Robbie began, stopping Magnus before he began "I'm sorry, but at least I'm still getting good grades. And I've been studying for that test for the last two weeks." He added.

"I'm aware Robbie, I wasn't really upset. I know despite becoming slightly lazy with the end of the school year approaching, you continue to work hard." Robbie sighed in relief at this, though confused at the same time, he continued to listen "I simply don't want you involved in what might be coming. The less you know, the less likely you are to be heavily involved." He noted, quite honestly.

Robbie already understood what Magnus was saying, what he'd always said. He wanted to avoid Robbie getting involved in the war for as long as he possibly could. He was, after all, his only child, and Magnus would be destroyed if the war ever got him killed. Yet in a lot of ways, though he didn't want to be directly involved in it, or a diplomat, he did want to help in _some_ way. Though he understood that he was still too young, he was only fifteen years old, and while most Autobots joined the cause around that age joined the ranks, they hadn't had the choice, he did. "I know Dad, I know. I just, sometimes, I don't know... I just wish I could help more." Robbie turned his head a bit "I feel like everyone has a role in this war except for me, you know?" He questioned "Even Jack helped us learn of Megatron's plans and he's SIX." He added.

"Be glad you don't Robbie, war isn't a fun thing, and I'm glad you aren't involved." Magnus turned around, and crouched low to his son, not unlike how Optimus often did with humans "I fight out there every day, to protect you. To see to it that you will have a future." He pointed at Robbie slowly "You, my son, have no reason to be out there fighting, to have you out there fighting for the sake of it... Primus I would not even like to think of it." He shook his head "Someday, I hope you will see the reason for my protectiveness Robbie, because when you have your own children, I can promise you you will understand." He noted, quite certain of this fact.

Robbie knew whenever Magnus was crouched in this position he meant exactly what he had to say. It always meant that, in a sense, he wanted Robbie's full attention, and one hundred percent of the time, he got it. Even if Robbie, needless to say, didn't understand what he meant, he understood where Magnus was coming from. He nodded his head a bit, and stared his Father in the optics. "I understand Dad, I won't bring it up again." Robbie nodded as Magnus did the same, scooping Robbie up and hoisting him onto his left shoulder "But do I really have to study more? I've really done so much studying this week." He groaned.

"No, I agree, you've studied more then suitably." Magnus nodded his head a bit, to which Robbie breathed a sigh of utter relief "I figured you might want to hang around however, I have the day off, finished my work early. No missions to go on today, I was thinking maybe we can go to that one movie you really wanted to see, Iron Man 2, I believe? It was playing at the local theater." He noted, Robbie's eyes lit up at that, to which Magnus grinned, he knew how to make Robbie feel better, that was for sure "I'll take that facial expression as a 'yes'." He added.

Robbie grinned and nodded his head slowly, allowing Magnus to carry him toward the door. Needless to say, he was more then happy to spend an afternoon with his Father. Even if he felt the slightest bit upset over not being involved in the war at all.

...

"How long was he stalking you for?"

Ben looked at Ironhide who had, as he guessed, seen everything the night before. The mech was in such rage that Ben felt almost uncomfortable being in his presence. He knew Ironhide was mad at Ryan, but he also knew that he was, at the very least, disappointed in his actions, especially in regards to never telling him. Yet the mech had his holoforms arms around him, so it was clear his Father couldn't have been too upset. Ben shifted a bit and laid his head against the mech's chest slightly. "Ryan started stalking me about a month ago. I noticed it, but I didn't tell you because he didn't try anything." Ben shook his head "You had enough on your plate and so did Uncle Will. I didn't want to freak you out with another thing." He sighed "I didn't think he'd try what he did last night." He added.

Ironhide frowned a bit, he knew what Ben was saying, but he hated that Ben was scared of telling him these things. As his adoptive Father when something was that wrong, he needed and _wanted _to know so that he could provide some form of aide. He sighed a bit, leaning against the couch, Annabelle was watching some cartoon with Will and Sarah, and they had simply joined in. "Never do that again, youngling. If something like that happens again, I want to know." Ironhide told him quietly he ran his hand along Ben's arm "If Optimus had not been there, who knows what he might have tried." He smiled sadly "Never be scared to come to me, alright?" He noted, then with a growl, added slowly "And if he ever shows his ugly slagging mug again. Just show him to me, I'd love to make good of Prime's threats." He added.

"Alright Dad." Ben smiled.

The two continued to relax and watch the show, it was one of the few things he enjoyed. The fact that though Ironhide might be disappointed in him from time-to-time, he always forgave him. He understood his reasoning for keeping this from him, and clearly, that made him feel much better. He knew that Ironhide cared about him, that he wanted to see him safe. But he also knew that Optimus had indeed ensured his safety. Making him feel far more safe then ever. Ben sighed, and leaned against Ironhide a bit, allowing the mech to hold him close. This was when he felt safest, when they'd get close like this, when Ironhide would hold him. They were the strongest, and most likely, safest arms in the world.

Taking a deep breath, he quietly wondered if he really had seen the last of Ryan. He knew he had, but his gut still churned with nerves, he could only pray that he was right, that it was over with Ryan's attacks on him. Then again, who would actually have the guts to attack a child who had Optimus Prime protecting them? Optimus could have passed the scene by, or simply wanted the man gone, but he had scared him off because he knew it had been Ben's abuser, and no other reason. Ben opened his eyes slowly, the whole thoughts and situation made a weight lift from his stomach for the first time.

For the first time in his entire life, he realized, there was no fear, no anger, no tensity. Just Ironhide's arms, a good movie, and a sense of safety he never thought he'd come to feel.


	63. Chapter 63

Wow, 200 reviews, 53 favorites, and 26 alerts you guys really are too kind. :) Thanks for all the support guys, it's very appreciated. :)

...

**CHAPTER 63**

Ben wasn't sure whether or not to be nervous upon being asked by Wheeljack to come to his lab. He had never met the eccentric mech before in his life, but he had heard different stories of the mech. His explosive inventions were most prevalent among them. Yet, being old friends with Ironhide, Ben still came, entering the tool and mechanism filled lab quietly. Wheeljack stood by his latest invention, to his luck, yet to be activated, or even charged up, Ben was safe. Ben cleared his throat calmly and watched as Wheeljack spun around in an almost jumpy state, only taking a deep breath upon seeing him. "Ah, good, you're here my lad!" Wheeljack clapped his massive hands together "I take it you are the young Benjamin Hide I've heard a great deal about, no?" He questioned, Ben nodded his head slightly "Primus, you're even younger-looking then I expected." He added.

"Well I only turned fifteen in January, so..." Ben shook his head a bit "Anyways, Dad said you wanted to talk to me?" He questioned.

"More like I wished to approach you with a proposition." Wheeljack's smiled broadened, as if excited by all of this "Do you know how amazing and dangerous an object you created young one? For a child like you, it is... It takes someone with genius intellect to even draw up the designs." He noted, then stared down upon him slightly "You are an astonishing young human to carry such a genius mind as you do. However, you have much to learn, for you show amateurism in some places of worksmanship." Ben looked as if he was waiting for Ben to make a point "I was wondering if, you might be interested in learning to channel some of that brain of yours." He then added "Under my mentor ship." He added.

Ben felt his body freeze up, Wheeljack, of all the Autobots, wanted to mentor _him_. The mech was called eccentric, and 'explosive', but he also was called a genius. One that was one of the smartest beings in the entire universe. And here he was, wanting to take him under his wing and teach him. It was, needless to say, a bit of a shocking thing to here. "I'm not good enough to be put under your mentor ship Wheeljack. I've never really... Been that great." Ben noted, he pulled his backpack to the ground and unzipped it taking a sketch pad out "I mean, you can have a look at some of my stuff and you want to use it, that's great. But I'm not worth teaching." He noted.

Wheeljack stepped forward and took the pad. Using his scanners, he scanned through each page, his face slowly growing a more and more stunned expression. This boy was smarter then he believed, his inventions were practical, and doable. But at the same time, unlike anything he'd ever seen from a human. Not only was the boy worth teaching, but Wheeljack had started to consider that perhaps it would be a true honor to teach a boy with such talent.

"Whoever told you you had no talent for this, needs a good aft-kicking. How young were you when you started doing this?" Ben only shrugged at the dark blue mech slightly "Benjamin, a gift like yours should not be ignored, do you know how few humans have this kind of intelligence? Few, if any, ever preserve such a talent as this." He looked down upon Ben who looked to be blushing uncontrollably at the moment "It... Well it reminds me of what I spent my childhood doing. Though I settled for small models instead of sketches." The older mech chuckled, and set the pad back into Ben's hands "It's your choice, Ben, but I would be incredibly honored to teach you. Just as I was taught." He added.

Ben stared at Wheeljack, giving serious thought to his comments. Wheeljack sounded and looked incredibly sincere in what he said. Though he had never actually considered being mentored, he didn't see why he shouldn't. Wheeljack seemed like a decent mech, and he really wanted to teach him. He smiled a bit, shyly, none-the-less, yet shifted a bit and stared up at the massive mech. "If you're willing to teach me, I would really like to learn. I mean, now that Ironhide's my Dad and not... You know, Ryan. I don't see why I should be worried." Ben admitted, he smiled at him calmly "Though I'll have to talk to Dad about it. Since, well, you know, always need parents approval." He chuckled lightly.

"Already talked to ole 'Hide, he told me as long as I don't blow you up he's fine with it." Wheeljack chuckled a little, though Ben detected a hint of nervousness "And that if I did, he'd blow me to pieces, so, we just need to be extra careful." Wheeljack stated, continuing the nervous chuckle, he looked down upon Ben who looked more then ready to get started, surprisingly "Well then, shall I show you around? Just so you know what and what not to touch?" He questioned.

Ben nodded and allowed himself to be scooped up. Whether he said it or not, he was excited at the prospect of finally learning to use his brain for something. For once, he didn't feel pressured to either, this time he wanted to. He just hoped that Wheeljack would be careful, and Ironhide's threat would be unwarranted. As the last thing he needed was to be blown up completely. He could take something blowing up in his face, but he didn't want to be blown up himself.

...

Dan didn't know why it was that he didn't feel like he fit it, but he definitely still felt out of place. With Ratchet, he certainly felt like he fit in, but besides Ben and Robbie, he didn't really know anyone else. So on days like now, when Ratchet was swamped with work, he often found himself hanging out on his own or strolling the base. That day, Dan had seated himself in the Autobot Hangar unknowingly, so the sound of a blaring horn made him jump. Dan spun around to see the silver Corvette Conteniall Convertable know as Sideswipe by the others sitting there. "Oh jeez, I'm sorry!" Dan stood up and backed up a bit, as the shorter Autobot transformed "I didn't, is this the Autobot Hangar? Oh man, I'm sorry." He stumbled over his words.

"Easy kid, easy." Sideswipe stated staring at the completely bewildered Dan "I didn't mean to startle you either kid, I just nearly ran into you. You should be a bit more careful you know? Not all of us pay much attention in our hangar. Few humans hang around this part of the base." Dan only nodded a bit "Hey, you're the new kid, aren't you? The one Ratchet brought on base?" Dan nodded his head slightly "Heard about the prank you played a few days ago on Galloway. Paint bomb in his suitcase, quite the class act." He smirked a bit "You don't strike me as the pranking type though." He admitted.

"Well, you have to have some hobby to liven up the shelter." Dan smirked a bit cockily, staring up at Sideswipe "You should know, you're Sideswipe, right? Dad tells me you were on the streets too." Sideswipe watched the young boy curiously "And considering I saw you pulling the prank on Ratchet, I take it you picked up the same hobby." Sideswipe raised an optic ridge, surprised at how perceptive the young boy was "Well anyway, I'll let you get to work, I'm sure you're here to wait for orders or something." Dan put his hands in his pockets a bit and began to walk off.

Sideswipe watched the boy, who already reminded him eerily of himself. Sunstreaker had never wanted friends when they were first taken to live on the Autobot base. But half the reason Sideswipe had become a prankster was in a desperate call for attention, only later had he fallen in love with them. Sideswpe had been a homeless orphan without many friends other then Sunstreaker, it had made him feel lonely. And sadly, he took it the boy didn't have any siblings to spend time with. Taking a breath, the mech couldn't believe he actually cared this much, normally, he was cocky, bold mech. But homeless kids had always had somewhat of a soft spot for him.

Rolling down the hangar as he transformed, Sideswipe spun around, and lifted up a door. "I've got nothing better to do before tonight kid. Was considering going for a ride." Sideswipe almost hesitated at the next part, knowing he might scrape his paintjob or something "Why dontcha join me, kid?" He questioned, Dan seemed to stand here, looking back and forth, he put his hands in his pockets "Come on, I'm not some Decepticon, I'm a friend. And I don't exactly offer this to everyone. So, what have you got to loose?" He questioned.

Dan hesitated for a moment, but slowly climbed into the passengers seat. Sideswipe buckled the boy in, scanning himself for any scratches to his paint job. He didn't know what was possessing him to do this, but what would it hurt? It was just one drive, the kid reminded him of himself, and he looked lonely. What would it hurt to be even a little friendly to him? After all, he would have loved someone to do that with him back then, he knew what it felt like all too well. It would just be one day of doing one person a favor, and like he said, what did he have that was better to do.

All Sideswipe knew was that he was not about to get soft. He had to avoid being seen by too many people lest someone tell everyone what he was doing. Sideswipe was known for being a hard-ass, prank-pulling, sports car that took no prisoners. Sure he didn't mind having his soft side, but he didn't want it to be advertised to the world. He was the type of mech that did kind things for people more quietly, needless to say always had been that way, and likely always would be that way. "Alright kid, hold on tight, you should be warned right now." Sideswipe started up his engines with a loud rev "I live for speed." He added.

He got no complaint as he took off down the road that went through the Island. Though he knew he'd be barked at for driving so quickly with Dan in the car by Ratchet later, for now, he'd simply enjoy himself, and hopefully Dan would too.


	64. Chapter 64

**CHAPTER 64**

Dan felt restless that night, as much as he hated to admit it. He felt his body toss and turn in bed as if he were uncomfortable, yet his soft bed was anything but. He sighed a bit, and sat up slightly rubbing his eyes, he noticed that Ratchet was nowhere to be found. It was odd, but it made him nervous, waking up uncomfortably he always felt more comfortable when the green hued mech was there, normally smiling, there to comfort him. It felt bizarre to feel so strange and alone again, but Dan laid his head down and curled up. He refused to look vulnerable, he refused to how his age for once. "Danny?" Dan turned his head to see Ratchet his optics filled with concern "Are you alright?" He clearly had noticed the change in positions, and he carried some supplies he had likely gone to get.

"I had a nightmare." Dan immediately admitted "I had trouble getting to sleep after it." He added, his voice quiet, Ratchet's holoform appeared on the end of his bed at once "I didn't see you and I was, I was kind of sared." Dan admitted slowly, he looked at him slowly "I know it's silly, and stupid, but I was scared." He muttered.

Ratchet stared at Dan, knowing the boy, whether he admitted it or not, felt close to Ratchet. Perhaps, even was beginning to see him as a parental figure, something he wasn't used to and therefore felt it was silly. He reached a hand, and ran it through the child's hair comfortingly, having learned it was a good source of comfort in these situations. "It's alright Danny, ole Rathet's here." He commented quietly, the boy smiled slightly "Anyone or anything that hurts you in those nightmares of yours, real or not, will have to answer to me." He told him, as comfortingly as he could "Don't even worry about it, you've got yer legal guardian right here." He added.

Dan smiled, even though he still wasn't totally sure what a Legal Guardian meant beyond taking care of him. He did know that it made him feel a great deal safer knowing that Ratchet was his. He smiled a bit, sat up, and hugged Ratchet. The old mech was stunned by the action, having never experienced this with Dan. But here he was, hugging him tightly, Ratchet was slow, but none-the-less, returned it carefully, holding the child close. "Where'd that come from?" Ratchet questioned through his surprise "You've never hugged me before." He added.

"For being there." Dan told him honestly "For being a Dad even though... I told you I didn't want one." Ratchet took that one to spark "For..." Ratchet knew Dan would say 'loving me', but he didn't know for sure.

Ratchet however, would have smiled and admitted to it gladly. It had taken him a while, but he was more then certain that he loved the boy. But he knew Dan needed to hear it before he even thought of thanking him for it. Ratchet smiled, and kissed the boy gently on the head, much to Dan's surprise. He had never felt a gentle kiss like that before as far back as he remembered, but it felt good, rather then awkward. "I love you Danny, you can thank me for that at any time." He told him quietly, allowing Dan to slowly let go, He slowly pulled the covers up to his chin "I could be your Father, you know. You'd just have to say the word." He added.

Dan froze at the offer Ratchet had just thrown on the table. He was ready to be taken care of and loved, but Ratchet had just offered to adopt him. To make him his son for real, to make this a permanent home. Was Dan even ready to be considered someone's son? That was an interesting question he hadn't even really considered before. He had considered allowing Ratchet to take him in, but never as his actual son, that was a whole new ball park, a whole new life. Of calling Ratchet 'Dad' and accepting whatever Uncles, that he knew he'd have he had, cousins, the works.

But the more he considered it slowly, the more he realized, it was not awkward to think of it anymore. The mech had just admitted to loving him, that he wanted that. What could he do? Say no, he'd have to be an idiot, that much he knew. He took a deep breath, and stared at Ratchet slowly, and smiled. "As long as you're easy on me Ratchet. I'm not sure I'm ready to call anyone 'Dad' yet." Ratchet nodded with a smile "And I want to know about my new family. No surprises... And... You have to really promise me that you won't abandon me for real. I've gone through this before, twice." He shook his head slightly.

"I've said it once, I'll say it again." Ratchet stroked Dan's cheek lightly "I will _never_ abandon you youngling." He told him quietly, and smiled, broadly "Now, as your hopefully soon-to-be Father, I'd say it's time for you to get some sleep little one." He winked at the boy carefully, who smiled back slightly "Get some sleep kiddo, I'm not leaving." He added quietly.

Dan nodded a bit, and laid his head back. Even when the boy had fallen asleep, Ratchet didn't leave his side. Ratchet had been surprised by Dan's acceptance, it was unlike him. But offering so carefully like that was, honestly, quite unlike himself either. But in the end, Ratchet knew that he wanted Dan as his son, more then anything. The boy had warmed his way into his spark over the last month and a half then any other person, mech or human alike. If his Adoptive Creator had been there, he knew he would have been more then proud of what Ratchet was doing, that he had found a boy so much like himself, and helped him in the same way _his_ Father had.

"I hope you're happy Father." The mech stared up and whispered quietly "Primus knows I could use your help right now." He added.

Though he knew it would be difficult, he knew he wasn't at this alone. He had the other Autobots to help him, and hopefully, his adoptive siblings would show up at one time or another on Earth. They'd certainly help, that much he knew. Though he feared that Red Alert would more then likely panic at every given moment, and annoy Dan. He knew that adopting the boy was not something he'd have to face alone. Leaning forward, he laid a kiss on top of Dan's head and carefully made his way away from the bed, satisfied the boy felt more content and safe then ever.

...

Ratchet had practically had a spark attack when the Adoption Request Paperwork had been sent to him. He had had his interview before, a few weeks before, in order to become his legal guardian, so he felt at least, a slight relief knowing he wouldn't have to do so again. But then again, the paperwork spoke for itself. Dan would permanently be his responsibility, his schooling, his life, his clothing, his food, everything, for _life_. He knew that was the case, but it all suddenly hit him at that moment, this was going to be difficult. And admittedly he did have a new found respect for his own adoptive creator now, this was overwhelming. "So I heard the news." Ratchet stared up as Ironhide entered the Med Bay calmly "Congrats, Daddy." He teased.

"Mmm hopefully soon enough." Ratchet smiled a bit, motioning for the seat nearby "I think I must be a bit crazy. Looney even. But that little guy got into my spark too easily. Perhaps it's my age talking, but I knew I'd have been nuts not to do this." He shrugged "You were right." He admitted.

Ironhide gave an amused grin, having known Ratchet would come to the conclusion eventually. But he could see the same look of frustration in his optics that he had had when filling his own paperwork. It was the absolute worst part of the process for Ironhide, it was long, exhausting, and he truly wished it could have been bypassed. But it was essential, for whatever reason, it assured the safety of the kids. "Paperwork is the worst part of it, if that makes you feel any better." Ratchet stared up and nodded a bit at him "It gets easier then, the officials can be rough, but try and keep your cool for a few hours. And it should be easy." He then stared around "Where is the little tyke anyway?" He questioned.

"Danny's in school right now. Remember, they go and stay later?" Ratchet questioned, Ironhide nodded in sudden remembrance "Hoping to finish this up and send it out before I pick him up. But the question is the last name factor. I don't really have anything to work off of, unlike you." He admitted, Ironhide shook his head "I was thinking Fixit, I don't know why 'Daniel Jason Fixit' seems to fit rather well." Ironhide cocked an optic ridge "Danny and I discussed it earlier this afternoon, he chose the Jason part." He added.

"I like it, Daniel Jason Fixit is fitting and has a ring to it." Ratchet smiled at Ironhide's response "Primus Ratchet, never seen you smile this much in ages. You're really happy to be doing this aren't you?" Ironhide snorted a bit.

Ratchet smirked a bit, grabbed an object off his desk, and flung it. The wrench barely missed Ironhide's head, which made it obvious even being a Dad, Ratchet had not changed much at all. Ironhide smirked, relieved by that, because he wasn't sure seeing Ratchet any different then usual would sit right with him. It would have been like him totally changing because of Ben, though he had become a softer person, because of Ben but nothing more. Ratchet was becoming the same way with Dan, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with that. "I think the kids have changed us a great deal for the better, Ironhide." The mech smiled at his old friend a bit "And I'm glad for it, I like being a Dad." he noted.

"I concur." Ironhide nodded, then looked at the green accented mech quietly "I'll leave you to it then, I wish you best of luck." He added.

Ratchet watched Ironhide leave, and thought about things quietly. It was changing him slightly, and he knew it, but he was right, it _was_ for the better. Dan gave him a sense of responsibility he hadn't had before, and showed him another side of himself. Ratchet had never had a reason to be soft, or kid, or as caring as he was becoming. But now, Dan gave him a reason to be all those things. He'd never change how he treated patients, that, he figured, would never change. But it was nice to know he now had someone to show the softest side of his personality as well.


	65. Chapter 65

**CHAPTER 65**

Dan wasn't sure what to think of the whole situation anymore. That day marked the first day that they took steps to making him Ratchet's adopted son. And while that was great, the fear that negotiations wouldn't last continued to remain in the back of his mind. He had almost wondered, since Ratchet was late that day after school, if Ratchet was already changing his mind. He should have known better, as no more then a second after the doubts surfaced, the green hued Hummer H3 could be seen making it's way toward the curb. "I'm sorry for my lateness, Sideswipe and Jolt decided to get themselves slagged up again." Ratchet muttered under his breath, he opened the passengers seat door "They're lucky they didn't end up with more dents then they came in with for making me late." He added.

"I'm surprised you didn't put more dents in them just because they were there again." Dan joked, to which Ratchet clearly chuckled, allowing the boy to climb in "Then again, knowing Sides, he rolled away at top speed after he was checked out. Just to avoid you." He added.

Ratchet didn't even react to Dan's knowledge of how Sideswipe acted. After all, the silver mech had become quite friendly with Dan since the drive. It was the oddest thing, watching Sideswipe being a buddy with a little kid, but their shared histories seemed to play a role in it. Though Ratchet didn't exactly see Sideswipe as an ideal friend for his son, Sideswipe was helping Dan slowly come out of his shell and for that, he was more then thankful. Even if it meant he got a few complaints a week about Dan and the mech pulling unwarranted pranks around the base. "As he should, since I'm still unhappy with ninety percent of the pranks he pulls you into." Ratchet admitted "I've been itching for a reason to dent him for the one he convinced you to play on Ironhide." He added.

"Hey, hey, the good news is NO ONE got hurt."

Ratchet would have rolled his optics if he was in robot form, but settled for closing the door, buckling Dan in and taking off. Ratchet knew he had to accept that he shared the role model role with Sideswipe, who was quickly becoming an older brother figure to Dan. And being Sideswipe wasn't all that bad a mech, he could accept that, as long as he didn't get Dan killed in the process. "Except the two of you when Ironhide chased you, shooting off his cannons." Ratchet noted, he chuckled a bit "But then again, Sideswipe was smart enough to take the blame. He knows if he blamed you he'd be a dead mech." He added.

Dan nodded a bit, Sideswipe was a good guy in his opinion. He taught him how to smartly pull pranks, on top of this, he treated Dan quite well. Sideswipe wasn't the type of grow close to people, but when he did, from what Dan understood, he treated them well. Dan was one of the few examples out there, as was Robert Epps. "Hey, Sides is a good guy, he'd never let Ironhide kill me. It's part of the pranksters code or whatever he called it." He chuckled a little, and leaned against the door slightly, looking out the window "So, ummmm... How did things go with the paperwork?" He questioned.

"Long and difficult, but necessary." Ratchet told Dan with a sigh "Hopefully, it shouldn't be too long before I get word back from social services. And hopefully, it'll be good news. I don't think I'm prepared for bad news on the subject." He muttered under his breath, showing signs of worry already "After all, I'm not about to skip a process and screw up adopting a kid like you." He noted, giving the child's hair a fair shake "The only person who might even be the slightest bit willing after all, is Sideswipe. And the day I let that mech adopt anyone is the day pit freezes." He added.

Dan chuckled at the thought of anyone being adopted by Sideswipe. He thought the mech was awesome, the older brother he never had. But Primus almighty forbid that he ever have a kid full time. Sideswipe didn't say it much but taking care of things stressed him out, and while a good guy deep down, taking care of someone full-time might just give him a spark attack. It was odd, because Sideswipe was such a cocky mech, but it was true, in some instances he stressed easily. "Yeah, I don't think he could even begin to handle that." Dan admitted, he frowned a bit, and leaned back slightly "Besides, then you'd have to find another kid, and I think that Galloway would have a fit at this point." He snorted.

"Let him have a fit, we are of a different culture. We've done well with you kids." Ratchet would have shook his head if he had his holoform on "The way I see it, there's nothing wrong with us taking in kids. We got five kids into good homes, three of whom were in bad situations to begins with." He noted, Dan nodded, easily seeing the mech's point "We haven't had children around us other then you lot in so long, it's almost hard to believe. Primus only knows how we got lucky as to find you." He added, it was a curious thought indeed "And Primus knows, if I could take more I would. I think Prime and Ironhide would too." He admitted.

"Why don't you guys then?"

"It's... Complicated. When you're older, I will fully explain it. But know that whom we grow attached to is a driving force." Ratchet tried his best to explain what a bond was, but he knew he was too intellectual to put it into easy terms "You could say, to put it as best as I can. That we don't choose our adopted children, our adopted children choose _us_." Ratchet told him calmly "For us, fate is never left to chance, there are beings we know we are meant to meet. That day I felt that way upon coming across you. Though I did not say anything for fear of scaring you." He admitted.

Dan crossed his arms, completely taken aback by this. Ratchet had somehow _known _they were supposed to mean? How in the world did that work? He couldn't easily process how something like that was supposed to work, needless to say. Dan shifted a bit, and continued to stare out the window. If Ratchet was correct, then Dan had a feeling that perhaps, he belonged there, but at the same time, how in the world could he be _sure_? Who was he kidding, Ratchet was more of a Dad to him then any of the other potentials ever had, and he was wondering if he was lying to him? Somehow, that felt wrong, and he knew it was wrong to accuse him of it, even mentally.

They stopped a bit away from the base, near a medical supply shop. "Sorry Danny, need to get some supplies. This could be a while, so, you're free to go get something next door at 7-11, just be sure to stay within my alt forms sight." Ratchet noted.

Dan felt the seatbelt slide off and climbed out calmly, watching Ratchet's holoform enter the shop calmly. Dan was quick in crossing over to the 7-11 next door, he had done this before, and knew Ratchet may be a while. He had a few dollars in his pocket normally, just in case this happened. He came back with a slurpee in hand, but knew he could pretty much do anything he wanted within Ratchet's range of sight. So he didn't go back to Ratchet right away. He knew what to look for by now, bizarre cars, different types of vehicles out of their element, or just the odd human.

Dan knew that he was young and for that reason, extremely vulnerable, or at least, that was how Ratchet put it. For that reason, he was more then a little careful in his actions when he wasn't immediately next to Ratchet and off-base. The Decepticons seemed to be after kids, they had started to notice that after finding Barricade's collection, and the talk of pets and slaves. Ratchet had warned him in order to keep him aware as Barricade had proved their kids could be taken for those purposes at any moment. "Old Ratchet's paranoia's rubbing off on you Dan." He rolled his eyes a bit at his own worry "Ridiculous." He muttered under his breath.

Though he knew he had to be weary of some of Sideswipe's enemies, he had few as far as he knew. Ratchet had none, so there wasn't much to worry about there. Whether he knew it or not, Dan was one of the safer kids in the Autobot ranks. He sighed a bit, tossing the empty cup away, Dan thought for a moment. About Sideswipe, about Ratchet, about all of this. It felt odd, just knowing that he was soon to be Ratchet's son. Sideswipe was surely happy about that, because it meant he'd be around for a long time, he'd have someone to pull pranks with for a long time. But Dan wasn't sure, it felt hard, to accept he'd finally found somewhere he belonged.

He looked towards the street, he could run, he knew he could. He knew the streets of Tranquility better then most people, if he wanted to, he could make it so Ratchet would never find him. Yet, for the first time in his life, Dan didn't run, he didn't move, the thought even disappeared from his mind. For once, Dan felt as though he had no reason to run, for the first time, somehow, someway, he knew Ratchet loved him. That he wanted him there, and he would not abandon him, not like the others. "Danny!" Dan turned his head to Ratchet slowly, the mech's holoform looked out the door of his alt mode "Come on bud, we need to get home!" He added.

Dan turned his head back toward the street one last time. For a moment, he considered it yet again, running, just in case, just to be safe. For once, he turned his head away from the area, and began to make his way, without hesitation, back toward Ratchet's waiting alternate mode. "Yeah." Dan nodded, his smile broader then ever before "Let's go home."

And for once, he believed it truly was _home_.


	66. Chapter 66

**CHAPTER 66**

Ironhide had never heard a louder or more violent scream from Ben in his life. His holoform was in his room within moments, almost stunned at what he saw. The boy was thrashing, tossing turning, and fighting some invisible force off with all of his might. The boy had nightmares, he knew it, but he had never seen him react so violently to them. Moving forward as slowly as he could, Ironhide gently gripped his shoulders and shook Ben. "Ben! BENJAMIN!" Irohide felt a punch hit him, Ben was now trying to fight _him_ off, Ironhide gripped tightly "Ben, it's me, it your Father. I'm here son, please... WAKE UP!" The boy was sobbing uncontrollably now trying to fight "BEN!" He screamed.

Ben jolted awake after what seemed like hours of waiting. Tears still streamed down his cheeks, the human flung forward and buried his head into Ironhide's chest, sobbing. Ironhide felt fear through their bond he had never before felt from Ben before. He knew the likely reason, he had just had a violent nightmare about his rape. And more then likely, it had been very graphic, and even worse, vivid. Ironhide wrapped his arms around his son tightly, making soothing sounds he rubbed his back gently. "I-I thought... I'm sorry." Ben whispered, allowing Ironhide to hold him close to where he could feel his spark beating against his heart, a soothing noise.

"Shhh, it's alright son, I know, I know." Ironhide whispered, releasing him only when he was sure the boy had calmed down "Primus, you lubricated." He noted.

Ben's face went tomato red, a fifteen year old did not wet the bed normally. But he couldn't help it, he had been horrified, it had been the first time in forever that he had had a vivid nightmare on the subject. Ironhide however, simply collected him into his his arms, and drew him back. He exited the room for a moment, returning with fresh sheets, he was careful to replace the sheets slowly, and turned his head back to Ben. "Your nightmares have never been this violent." Ironhide spoke quietly, Ben looked down "You're old to be wetting the bed, and you practically attacked me." He noted.

"I can't help it when those nightmares happen."

Ben carefully replaced his pajamas while Ironhide allowed him privacy. The mech only turned when Ben cleared his throat. The boy seated himself on his bed slightly, looking more shaken, and scared then Ironhide had ever seen him. To say it worried the mech would have been an understatement, such a reaction took him further off-guard then he'd ever felt in his entire years of life. Ironhide knew that Ben needed help, if the memories were getting that bad, he needed to get him help. "I know Ben, but Primus, you never told me they could get _that _bad." Ironhide said, his body tensing up "Do you need to talk about it, son?" He questioned.

"I'm not sure I could if I even wanted to Dad." Ben admitted, he stared at the mech slowly "I remember that day like the back of my hand. I thought I'd controlled the nightmares now. But shit, this time it..." He laid against the bed and curled into a ball "I was so helpless." He whispered.

Ironhide reached out to him, slowly running his hand through Ben's hair. He hated to see him like this, even if it was the first time he'd witnessed it, he felt completely helpless. What could he do? That was the question running through his mind. Ben had started to see Will's therapist friend, and he was making progress. Yet the nightmare seemed and was apparently even worse that day, making him wonder just how much it really was helping. "Ben, he's gone. Prime made sure that he's not coming back, we're even letting you back to public school in the fall." Ben nodded at Ironhide's comforting a little "What brought this on?" He questioned.

Ben didn't appear to want to answer his Father's question, but turned around slowly, and stared up at him. His mouth curved into a frown and he allowed Ironhide to move onto the bed next to him, feeling more comforted then ever by the mech's presence. "It happened today." Ben whispered, Ironhide's spark dropped at this "I hoped I could go one year where the memory didn't haunt me on that day. But it hit me, like every dam year." He rested his head on Ironhide's lap "You don't have to stay with me, don't you have work in the morning?" He questioned.

"Frag work, yer more important then some Decepticon Scum." Ironhide told him carefuly.

For a moment, Ben wondered if he had heard the mech right. Ironhide was always the first one to rush into any mission he was given. One horrific nightmare, and he didn't seem to even care about it at all. He snuggled into the holoform's chest instinctively as the burly arms pulled him close. It reminded him, comfortingly, that he was safe, and even the memories of the rape were only nightmares anymore. That monster in the dream wasn't his Dad, this was, the mech holding him close. "That's... Unlike you." He muttered.

"You think I'd put my work before my son?" Ironhide questioned, he stared down upon the young teenager "Yer the most important thing and person in my life Benjamin. More important then my cannons, work, and certainly more important then those Decepticreeps." He took a deep breath, running a hand along his side for further comfort "The chances of me working on a day I know you need me most are slim and none. Regardless of what I'm missing, Prime will understand." He added.

Ben nodded his head a bit, resting against Ironhide's chest slowly. He felt safest in moments like this, when Ironhide would wrap his arms around him and just sit there. Ironhide hated to admit it to anyone else, he knew, but he was both the toughest, and gentlest giant around. He wasn't sure why Ironhide was afraid to show that either, after all, he was kind to him and Annabelle it was no secret, so why did he hesitate on doing it in public? He clearly didn't understand but it didn't matter he supposed. Ben didn't think much further on the subject before he fell asleep, much to Ironhide's relief. It was hard for him to watch all of this, knowing Ben would never recover from his trauma, only ever get better.

How he'd have the patience to handle such a thing, that was the real question here. But he knew he'd somehow find it, Ben needed his comfort, and needed him most importantly. He couldn't abandon him, or leave him to face this alone. Ben may as well have been his real son in that sense, they had a bond stronger then most. Ironhide knew it was due to his love for him, due to the fact that Ironhide had needed him as much as Ben had needed Ironhide. That emptiness they both had shared had caused a stronger bond, one that may as well have been a creation bond.

And that made watching him going through such torment seemed to be so hard. Yet there were moments, however short, that he often wondered if there was more to the strange strength of their bond. More to why he felt so hurt when Ben was hurting. But he didn't allow himself to think about it, he wouldn't. It was too strange and odd a thought for him to truly consider anything more going on.

...

Optimus Prime was surprised when a knock sounded at the door that morning. He was not expecting anyone that morning, yet he still noted that it was open, he looked up to find that Ben was standing in the doorway. Optimus had not seen the boy since the week before, but he smiled at him a bit. "Benjamin, what can I do for you?" He questioned, standing from his Transformers sized chair carefully "I hope your Father is not the cause of this meeting." He noted.

Ben shook his head quietly, and stared at the mech. "Kinda, but not in a bad way." Ben smiled a bit, Optimus only lifted an optic ridge in confusion "I came to thank you, Optimus. For protecting me like you did." Optimus smile broadened a bit at this, crouching down low to look at Ben "No one outside of Ironhide's ever stuck up for me like you and Will did. I don't even know... How to thank you for scaring my Dad off like that, getting him to leave me alone." He rubbed his arm slightly "I didn't know you cared that much about me. Or that my Dad and you were that close." He admitted.

"Ironhide, is and will always be, my oldest friend." Optimus told the young man slightly, his optics on Ben slowly "I see in you so much of him. When we first met, I almost believed you may have been a techno-organic." Ben chuckled a little "You are a good kid Benjamin, one who I'd gladly protect. You're family, just as Ironhide is, regardless of birthright." He noted, patting the young boy on the head a little "If you ever need me, or if that man ever shows himself again, you can be certain, I will be there." He added, he looked upon Ben slowly "You came here for more then that however, and we both know it." Optimus stood up slowly.

"Ryan did more then stalk me Optimus..." Ben closed his eyes, feeling tears streak down his cheeks, Optimus turned his head "He revealed something to me that I'm not sure how to handle." Optimus turned, his body tensing, Ben seemed nervous "I'm _not_ human." He added.

Optimus spun around and felt his spark nearly stop beating, had Ben said what he thought he had? The mech stared at Ben in surprise, this was not something he knew how to react to. They had done multiple scans on Ben, but he appeared human, he was human. Same blood flow, no Energon, of course, they hadn't drawn blood. But now, Optimus was beginning to believe they should have. Optimus carefully bent down again, doing a trace scan directly into Ben's blood stream. This time, he saw it, the Energon, it was there, it flowed in his veins. Ben was a techno-organic. "Primus almighty." He looked upon Ben "I take it, you don't belong to a Decepticon, or he would have said so?" Ben shook his head "Have you told Ironhide yet?" He shook his head once more.

"He said I came before Jack... I was the _first_ Autobot experiment. But like him, I didn't act like a drone." Ben stared down a bit, then up at Optimus "My 'Mom' wanted a child so badly. So he made them give me to her. Didn't tell her what I was." Ben stared away from Optimus "I couldn't bring myself to tell Ironhide, because what if I'm not his Prime? Jack was yours... What if I'm yours too?" He questioned.

Optimus frowned a little, but he felt nothing, Ben wasn't his, that was for sure. But at the same time, they needed to know whose child Ben was. This turn of events was both disturbing and unnerving, as well as devastating. If he wasn't Ironhide's it was obvious that a struggle over whom Ben rightfully belonged with could easily begin. Optimus took a deep breath and picked Ben up. "We'll soon find out." He noted.

...

Between Ironhide, Ratchet, and Optimus, the tension in the Med Bay was ten times worse then it might have been. Ben's blood and energon had been drawn nearly an hour ago, but the tests weren't in. Ben turned his head away from Ironhide for the moment, as soon as the beeps went off. Ratchet took a deep breath, clicking through the small device, a smile crossed his lips. Ratchet stared between Ironhide and Ben, and he nodded. "Well Ironhide, I'd say Primus did more then put the boy in your path." He noted, Ironhide's optics brightened and Ben's head shot up "The CNA in Ben's bloodstream and your CNA is a perfect match. He's _yours_." He noted.

At that point, a loud thud resounded across the room. Ironhide had collapsed, whether out of shock, or disbelief, one couldn't be too sure. But Ben smiled brightly at his Father, his _real_ Father brightly. In a way, it all made sense, and comforted him in ways he didn't understand. Suddenly, the strong bond appeared to be more then just coincidence, it was a creation bond, one that had simply been suppressed for far too long. "He took that easier then I expected." Optimus smiled a bit at Ben "It seems we've found the reason for your Genius IQ." He noted.

"To be honest, and I only say this because Dad's unconscious." Ben breathed in carefully "I half-expected it to be Wheeljack." He chuckled, then shrugged "Explains why my natural hair color is black though." He added.

"Why in Primus's name would Ryan tell you however?" Ratchet stared at his Godson in confusion still bewildered by all of it "You would think they'd wait for an opportune moment to tell us, perhaps in a capture or-." He began.

"To strike a blow to Ironhide. Ryan Turner likely had no clue whom the boy belonged to." Optimus's optics met Ratchet's, the old mech already seemed to understand "He hoped that it wouldn't be Ironhide, so that it might devastate him when Benjamin came to one of us." He noted, he looked upon Ben "It is likely, he hoped, that Ben would run away out of confusion and sadness. So that they could indeed take him to use for when the time was right." He then added "Benjamin is lucky he belonged to Ironhide, and not myself. As the Decepticons would have taken full advantage of. He counted on that." He noted.

Ben nodded in agreement, and turned toward Ironhide, who still didn't move. "You know, you guys should probably wake him up." Ben commented, and turned toward the two of them, they both stared at him "Unless that's a bad idea?" He questioned.

"Mmm bingo."

Ben stared at Ironhide for a moment, and smiled. His Dad, he could really think that now. He sighed a bit, and patted the mechs leg slightly, he knew they'd have a lot to talk about when he got up. He just hoped that this wouldn't come back to bite either of them in the ass.

...

Ah, now this was a twist I struggled with for some time. I knew that Ben was connected to the project somehow, but I could decide how. I finally decided on that Ben would in fact end up being Ironhide's real son. I hope that it was well-executed. I know I dropped a few hints, such as the Decepticons interest in him after getting the prototype and his unusual intelligence level. :)


	67. Chapter 67

Glad it made sense to everyone, I was nervous it wouldn't. Also Paya, Ben is natural with ranged weapons, as we'll see in upcoming chapters. He inherited that along with another ability he inherited from his Father. His genius IQ though, is just a lucky Cybertronian-level intelligence so-to-speak. Like us, your parents don't have to be Geniuses for you to be one. And vise-versa.

...

**CHAPTER 67**

Ironhide didn't hate himself, but he wasn't happy with himself either. Ben was his son, _his_ son, and he had never even known. He hadn't ordered the tests even with an unusually strong bond between them. No worse, he hadn't even realized it when he was young. He had had a son out there, one that had suffered for fifteen years without him even knowing he existed. If he hadn't wanted Ryan Turner dead enough before, he most certainly wanted him gutted and strung up at this point. Ironhide hadn't tried to avoid Ben after that, but he had needed time to think things through a drive, a bit of fresh air. The mixture of elation and shock seemed to swim through his spark constantly.

This made him wonder why Ben had been kept. Perhaps there was more to this sick operation of theirs then met the eye, maybe not. But what really killed him is he couldn't have helped Ben, couldn't have helped his own child. Primus knew, had he found out, he would have gone into that house, beat the slag out of Ryan, and brought Ben home. Primus knew Chromia would have accepted him, and loved him even if he wasn't hers. But what could he have done? He tried to remind himself of that, there was nothing he could have done, he didn't know who Ben was, Ben himself didn't know what he was.

He pulled up to the Lennox home calmly, noting that Ben was on the front porch. The look on his face said it all, he knew he should have told Ironhide, and he was hating himself for not. Sighing the mech's holoform materialized slowly, climbing out of his alternate form. "I'm not mad." Ironhide told him, Ben looked up as the mech made his way toward him "I needed time to think this through, but I'm not mad." He seated himself next to the boy on the Lennox's front porch "Ben, how long have you known that... You were a techno-organic?" He questioned.

"He told me about a month ago, when he started stalking me." Ben commented, he looked at Ironhide "But I didn't know if... You were my Dad and neither did he. I was scared if I told you, and I wasn't yours... I was scared of loosing you." Ben stared down at the ground quietly, biting his lip "I guess this means you're really my Dad though, huh?" He smiled, the mech smiled back a bit "I should have know, you know? I felt so safe with you, it should have been obvious." He whispered, looked down then up a bit "So, where do we go from here?" He questioned.

"Well, not much different then we would otherwise." Ironhide admitted with a little smile toward the boy, wrapping an arm around his shoulders "All I know is I've still got a son, this just means that I have the honor of having one with my real DNA. And while I'd have been happy with either. Primus, does it make me happy to know yer my flesh and Energon." He poked the boy in the stomach gently, and stared at him "When I really look at you, you really _do _look like me. Got my eyes, and from what you said, my black hair." He added with a grin "Yer gonna go back to your natural hair color now I take it?" He questioned.

"The sooner I stop looking like Ryan, the better." Ben nodded a bit "It'll take a while, maybe I'll just have the dye taken out." He added.

Ben took a deep breath, this was all overwhelming for him just as much as it was for Ironhide. He didn't know how to react to being a techno-organic, to not being totally human, to, well, have been lied to his entire life. It made him wish more then ever that Ironhide had found him earlier, after all, he was his Dad, he could have helped him. He shook his head a bit, and looked at Ironhide a little. "So, don't kill me or anything." Ben noted, Ironhide tilted his head "But... How are you really reacting to this Dad? I know you can't be _totally_ calm about it." He added.

"Guilty." Ironhide admitted with a nod "At least, to an extent. I could not have known or helped it. But I still feel guilty that I could have done nothing to protect you from that bastard who adopted you." He growled a little, and shook his head "I know you likely don't blame me, but I blame myself. Chromia and I could have had a sparkling all this time. And you could have had a better family." He noted, Ben nodded a little, Ironhide looked away a bit "But what's done is done I suppose. What matters is that I found you, no matter how far along in your life it was." He added.

"Well, I guess that makes sense, I mean, considering what he did to me." Ben bit his lip a bit, and looked away "But at least he's gone, right? Optimus scared him off and I never have to deal with him again." He added, he shifted a bit and leaned his head against Ironhide a bit "Don't blame yourself for what I got stuck with, especially since you had no idea I existed." He shook his head a bit, clearly, he felt a bit sad as well, though he hid it well "I know if you had known I existed and knew what he was doing to me... You'd have been over there with your cannons faster then I could blink." He added with a smirk.

"That waste of human life wouldn't be breathing right now had I known you were mine." Ironhide snorted, then mused to himself for a moment "This does, however, give me an all-new reason to hunt the son of a bitch down and make him suffer." He noted, then stared down at Ben "I'm simply glad that you don't blame me or your misfortune. Our bond should have allowed me to feel your pain. But I believe as you were never around me, throughout your entire life, it was too faint for me to notice." He admitted "It's common when a 'creation' is adopted far away from their creators." He added, figuring Ben needed an explanation.

"So even if you felt me, you wouldn't have known it was me?"

"Sadly, yes that is the case. It was perhaps because of my bond with Chromia at the same time as well." Ironhide shifted a bit, and turned toward Ben who cocked an eyebrow "Perhaps had I not had two bonds, I would have felt you more fully. After all, I was in Tranquility more then once. But since I was closer to Chromia more often, it is likely, as our bond had been weakened... Well." He shook his head "Perhaps it is best we leave the thoughts behind however Ben, it's all in the past now. What matters is I found you, and you're _home_ now." He then added, leaning in closely "And that slagger is gone, so, don't think about it." He pulled Ben closer "Because regardless of upbringing, I have a son I am more then proud of." He admitted.

_"I have a son that I am more then proud of."_

Those words pierced through Ben's heart-spark, whatever it was that the teenager had. He had never been told by a parent that they were proud of him before, not even by his Mother who had been a kind-hearted woman. Coming from Ironhide, his real Father, however, that meant more to him then anything. It was odd, but in a way in the back of his mind, he he knew he had always known. Being with Ironhide had always felt like home, the way his spark calmed him, the way he warmed up to him. The fact that Ryan had been at the head of those working on the project should have been a dead giveaway as well. But he had been in denial, and simply lucky that the mech he had been attached to was in fact his Father.

"You know, I always knew he couldn't be my Father." Ben admitted aloud, Ironhide stared at him "The more I grew up, the more out of place in that family I really felt. Like someone or something was missing." He knew it had been Ironhide, and as she was his sparkmate, most likely Chromia as well "It had to be you and Chromia. I mean, since you were her sparkmate, in some strange way, she _was_ my Mom wasn't she?" He questioned.

"You may have only been born from my CNA, but yes." Ironhide nodded a bit "You two would have shared a bond as well. That's how I see it, anyway, bonds are connected together in rather strange ways." The mech noted, Ben leaned back against the steps, and listened "Sometimes, sparklings are only born to one creator. It is possible, but very risky, you are a somewhat-version of this birthing method I believe." He noted, Ben nodded his head a bit "When and if the creator finds a sparkmate, the bond the creator shares to their creation connects with that of their sparkmate." He noted "Meaning in a way, she was, I guess, you could say that Chromia was your _Step_mother." He noted.

Ben didn't entirely understand it, but he did get the gist of it. It did make sense that she would be his Stepmother, after all, he had only been created from Ironhide's CNA and not her's (as far as they knew anyway). Unless they found out that they had used both their CNA to create Ben, as far as they knew, Ben had only a direct Creation Bond to Ironhide. He took a wild guess the one he might have shared with Chromia would have been a Step-Creator Bond. It was odd, as it was not the same way humans got a step-parent. But then again, as Cybertronians never spark-bonded twice, it made sense that _this_ was the way step-creators worked.

"Step-parents work differently here on Earth. But I guess it makes sense, considering you guys don't 'marry' twice, right?" Ben questioned, Ironhide nodded his head in agreement, Ben sighed a bit, and looked at the mech slowly "Do you think she'd have liked me? Mom, I mean?" He questioned.

Ironhide stared at Ben, it was the first time he had called Chromia 'Mom'. But he understood that now, Ben considered Chromia to have been his 'Mom' in a sense, being she had been bonded to his Father. The question had an obvious answer, Ironhide knew Chromia would have adored Ben. He was everything they had hoped for in their children. Bright, happy, healthy, despite what he had gone through, and most of all, brave. It had taken a great deal of courage to come forward with what his Dad did and with the information he had presented that day. He had inherited Ironhide's courage, there was no doubt about that. If Chromia hadn't offlined in Egypt, Ironhide was _certain_ she'd have loved him, even if he was the equivalency of a step-creation, and not biologically hers.

"She'd have loved you Ben, just as much as I do, if not more." Ironhide ran a hand through his hair carefully "I'm sure she's happy to know, if she's watching from the Matrix. That somewhere out there, we did have a child." He smiled a bit, and nodded evenly "Even if you went through all of that before you found me." He noted, he stood up slowly and turned toward the home "Come on, it's nearing lunch time, and the Lennox's will want to know what's going on, no doubt word reached them by now." He noted.

As Ironhide entered the home calmly, Ben stood there for a few moments, thinking. Life would be so much easier now, he figured, less complicated, or more complicated, whichever it may be. He was happy to know that he no longer had any ties to Ryan, and never really had. This _was_ where he belonged, and where he had always belonged to boot. Inside, he hoped that Ryan had found out himself by some means, and was now kicking his own butt for being stupid enough to tell him. Perhaps it was karma making its way back to Ryan, perhaps not. But all he knew is he no longer had to think about that monster anymore.

He entered the home at a slow pace, knowing that Ironhide was right, their family had _a lot_ to talk about.


	68. Chapter 68

Toothless: He does, but due to his age and long time away from Ironhide, his powers are going to be slower to develop.

...**  
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**CHAPTER 68**

Techno-Organic training sessions, at least to Ben, were, to say the least, difficult. Ironhide insisted they'd get easier, as did Jack, but he still found them hard. They hadn't figured out what his abilities were quite yet, though he appeared to be quite good with a gun like his old man. The only thing was, that wasn't an ability, that was just natural talent, inherited, but still just natural talent. Aaron, who had struggled with his own abilities, albeit in a different way, was oddly helpful, considering they didn't get along very well. More often then not, he would offer words of encouragement. It didn't help him out entirely, but it did make him feel better to know not everyone was so natural with their abilities like Jack was.

Ironhide was a bit tougher a trainer then he was a parent, and didn't go easy on him either. He had warned Ben ahead of time that though he loved him, he didn't play favorites, even though he was his own child. Ben accepted that, needless to say, as he knew that Ironhide didn't want to make his other students seem any less important. Though there were, of course, times where like Optimus and Bumblebee might have, he'd take him aside and give him a one-on-one session. That day, Ironhide had gotten him up a bit earlier for one, then kept him late again. Ben sighed, sweat pouring down his face from the amount of concentration and power he had exerted into his body.

"Ben, if this is too much, we can give it a rest." Ironhide noted, he crouched down slowly to him, Ben turned his head toward him "Perhaps your abilities are not ready to be developed yet. You know, we don't know how all of your kinds powers work. There's nothing wrong with that." He noted.

Ben gritted his teeth, more determined then ever from that comment. His Dad was one of the toughest Autobots in existence, he would not be a weak Techno-Organic by comparison, he refused to be. He had never been the kind of person to want to be tough before he found out Ironhide was his Dad. But now that he knew, he felt as though it was his duty to carry on the 'Hide' family name in a way that would make Ironhide proud. "No, I can do this, I KNOW I can do this." Ben replied firmly, Ironhide watching him with concern filled in his optics "I'm not going to give up after a hundred failed tries." He added.

"Benjamin, you're going to hurt yerself." Ironhide stated firmly, he looked down upon Ben slowly "Come on son, your ability will come to you when it's ready. For now, I'd rather not have my son kill himself from over-exhausting himself. Sound like a plan?" Ben took a deep breath, looking ready to argue back, but finally gave in, and nodded his head slowly "Look kid, if you makes it feel any better, I wasn't always as tough as I am now." Ironhide noted, roughing up his hair with a fingertip "Some are late bloomers, m'boy. There's nothing wrong with that." He assured him.

Ben however, still felt like a weak guy compared to his Dad. He knew his Dad was probably telling the truth, but he still felt as though he should have been stronger. Like he should have had more strength then he had shown right then. But he guessed it couldn't be helped, as much as he'd like to be as powerful as his Dad was, he knew that was years and years away. He took a deep breath, and walked away slowly. Ironhide frowned, feeling bad that Ben felt so much in his shadow and it was quite obvious that was the case. He took a deep breath, and looked at Ben. "I just wanna be as tough as you." Ben leaned against the wall, not leaving as he had intended "You're so tough, I couldn't even protect myself from Ryan... And I'm YOUR son." He added.

"We all need to find our inner strength son. As I said, I was never as tough as I am now at yer age." Ironhide told him, stepping forward, he looked down at Ben slowly "Your time will come son, you have my word on that. Whether you're a late bloomer like yer old man... Or, if you are lucky and it comes sometime in the more near-future." He told him, calmly, then took a deep breath "But son, you can't force what needs to progress naturally. You are only fifteen, patience and time will someday help you find your special ability." He told him, trying his best to convey this to him "Promise me, son, that you won't ever hurt yourself to be more like your old man." He added.

"I promise." Ben finally stated, admitting defeat.

Ironhide side, understanding how Ben felt, probably more then Ben thought he did. As his son, however, he didn't want him to push himself as hard as he had when he was growing up. He didn't want to see him hurt himself the same way he had. It hadn't been Ironhide's fault though, it had been his abusive Father Creator's fault entirely. He had pushed him to be stronger, to push himself further, he had been in the Med Bay multiple times for hurting himself. Now that he had a son of his own, he swore to himself, he would never let Ben feel the need to do so as well, nor did he want to end up pushing him, even if he didn't mean to.

"Yer day will come." Ironhide told him, scooping Ben into his palm and placing him onto his shoulder "You can count on it. Now, what to do with you in the mantime... Hmmm?" A mischievous grin came upon the older mech's face "Perhaps we can go do something to get your mind off of it?" Ironhide questioned, he moved into his subspace, and pulled out a pair of tickets "Those Lakers you love so much?" He questioned.

"Holy crap Dad! You got tickets!" Ben questioned, taking the tickets in surprise.

Ironhide smiled, he had the night off, and he figured it wouldn't hurt. He'd never been to a basketball game, but he knew that Ben was in love with the game. As such, going to a basketball game with him wouldn't hurt. After all, he had fifteen years of raising to make up for, as far as he was concerned. It couldn't hurt to spend his days off spending time with his son, rather then polishing his cannons. "One of the perks of being in this Government. They can get them." Ironhide grinned, watching Ben's face light up "Court side Seats too. Since Will tells me that's the best possible seats." He added.

"Just one question, who died?" Ben questioned, stunned that Ironhide of all mechs would do this.

Ironhide only snorted and chuckled lightly, he supposed this was new for him. But he didn't see a reason why it was so bizarre, he had proven time and time again he was a soft mech around his family. He took a deep breath, and looked at Ben slightly. "Eh, I just wanted to spend time with m'son, nothing wrong with that is there?" Ironhide questioned, poking Ben in the chest lightly, the boy nodded a bit "Now come on, let's get going, the tickets list it as starting in an hour. And Will says the crowds are fragging insane." Ironhide noted.

Ben nodded, allowing Ironhide to carry him away from the room. He wouldn't complain about some time with his Father at a basketball game. After all, most of the time, Ironhide wasn't home until the late evening's. Some time during the day was going to be fun. He just hoped that Ironhide was serious about having time off. As he didn't want to pull him from his work.

...

It was the first time that Dan was in the Med Bay for something other then hanging out with Ratchet. To say the mech was furious right now, would have been an understatement. It wasn't Dan's fault, of course, but none-the-less he hadn't said 'No' to Sideswipe's dangerous prank. Sideswipe had a small dent in his helm when he had left, from the wrench Ratchet had smacked him over the head with. Something about almost killing his son, Dan hadn't actually caught the full thing as about half of it was him cursing at Sideswipe in Cybertronian. "I am _so_ disappointed in you Danny." Ratchet told the boy as he wrapped up his cut up leg "You KNOW Ironhide's cannon storage is off-limits for a reason." He added.

"I know Ratchet, I'm sorry." Dan's face was red as he looked up at Ratchet "The good thing is I didn't get TOO hurt right?"

"No, getting hurt _at all_ is never good. Primus, when you came in here cut up and bruised." Ratchet fought back anger, knowing he needed to be more patient with the boy, who he knew was still new to all of this "I was scared Danny, I'm responsible for you now. Before long, you're going to be my SON. Do you know what that means?" Dan tilted his head, unsure as to what exactly he was getting at "It means that, if anything happens to you. I will never be able to live with the guilt." Ratchet ran a finger through Dan's hair calmly "We share a bond, you and I... Remember when I told you about that?" Dan nodded recalling a few weeks ago when he had "That makes life miserable for us if you're ever... Really hurt." He noted.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Dan bit his lip slightly.

"Understandable, but please, next time, just be more careful." Ratchet noted, still holding back his anger, if only for Dan's sake "I would hope that, by now, you know better then to pull something that stupid. But, to ensure you learn. I'm grounding you for the rest of the week." Dan's mouth hung open in response "Ah, ah, with my temper, you're glad I don't just haul you off to the brig and make you stay there tonight." Dan closed his mouth "It's just three days Dan, you can last that long, can't you?" Dan nodded his head glumly "Now, that should about do it." He noted as he finished wrapping up his leg carefully "That feel better?" He questioned.

"It still hurts a lot."

"Yeah, well, the painkillers will take effect soon enough." Ratchet noted, knowing that Dan would probably be in pain for a bit when off of them "But you're going to be fine son, no breaks, just some cuts. You got very lucky." He noted, lifting him off of the table and onto a berth "Lay down, keep your leg leveled, and be sure to holler if you need anything." He noted as he went back to his nearby desk to fill out medical reports for both Sideswipe and Dan.

Dan was surprised that Ratchet had handled it so easily. But he let it go, not like he was complaining, he was lucky to get off the hook. And he'd just leave it at that for now, he laid back and closed his eyes. Hoping he'd at least feel a little better once he was awake.


	69. Chapter 69

A/N: Sorry for the slowness of writing this story. I've been working on my newer story 'Superman Had It Easy'. :) Anyone that likes this story, I highly recommend giving it a read.

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**CHAPTER 69**

Until Magnus adopted Robbie, the saying "They grow up so fast" had not meant anything to him. Now that the teen was a part of his life, however, it had wasted no time in hitting him with a harsh smack into reality. Perhaps it was because Dana came over so much more often now, or that Robbie had recently finally gotten his Driver's Permit. But it felt like the boy he had rescued from that horrible Foster Home was already growing into a fine young man already. Some days, he still looked at Robbie and saw the fourteen year old in desperate need of a real home, after undergoing abuse. But that boy seemed long gone at the same time. Robbie was happy, happier then he'd ever seen him. Dana had helped that a great deal, and so had Magnus himself.

Magnus was happy, he truly was, to see Robbie as happy as he was. But at the same time, it just hit his spark home. It made him realize that in three short years, Robbie would be out of the house, in college, away from him, independent. He was sad, in his own way, yet he was more happy then sad. He had always been concerned that Robbie would not recover from his time with Jerry. Yet he had, and he had done so in a year, which clearly was something that made Magnus even happier. Perhaps, he figured, his sadness was at the notion that his son was growing up quicker then he had expected.

That night, Mirage had been on a mission, so Magnus had been the one to drive Dana home. Dana was considerably well off with her parents, to a point where Magnus questioned the reason she attended public school. Most likely, he surmised, it was in an attempt to lead a normal life. But her home was still massive, almost like a mansion, a gate and long driveway leading up to it, a massive yard. It really was no surprise that Mirage was often over at her home, as Robbie's chauffeur, considering the fact that Robbie probably enjoyed the fresh air, and time alone with his girlfriend. He allowed them space as Robbie kissed Dana goodnight, not that he was the type to watch such a thing to begin with.

When Robbie clamored into his passengers seat, the words were instantly out of his mouth. "Are you okay, Dad?" Robbie questioned, Magnus's holoform turned his head so that he might look Robbie in the eyes, more then a bit confused by the question "You've seemed down all day. Did I do something wrong? Was this awkward?" Magnus held up a hand carefully.

"Not at all Robert, simply parenting things. Watching this is... Hard on me." Robbie cocked an eyebrow at Magnus who sighed as they drove "In other words, watching you grow up son. I still see you so often as the fourteen year old who I saved the life of. Now... Primus, you're dating, you've got your permit... Jerry's gone and you're finally out of his shadow." Robbie smiled a bit, understanding where Magnus was coming from entirely "It just reminds me that in three years, you'll be in college. Then getting married, having your own children... It reminds me someday, that fourteen year old boy is going to grow up. And he won't need me anymore." Magnus's face fell as he stated this.

Robbie's heart fell a bit at hearing this, Magnus really thought that someday he'd just leave him behind? That just because he'd move on in life someday, and have a family of his own, that he'd never need him? Robbie felt the exact opposite, he loved Magnus. The mech had taken him in, made him a part of his family, treated him like his own son. He'd brought him to the point he was now at, and without him, who knew where he'd be right now. Not among the living, he would bet, that was for sure. He smiled a bit, and hugged Magnus, tightly, catching the mech off guard a bit, he released him after a moment.

"Dad, I'm always going to need you! Are you kidding me? Just because I'm growing up doesn't mean I won't." Robbie told him, Magnus looked quite taken aback by his comment, the boy shifted a bit "If it weren't for you, I'd still probably be with Jerry, or dead. You saved me Dad, you got me to this point. I owe you more then I can probably give." He told him honestly, this caused a smile to form over Magnus's mouth, those words really hit home "I know I don't say it a lot, but meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me Dad. I finally found a home that lasts. And I think the reason the others didn't was because you were supposed to find me." He noted.

Magnus took a deep breath, it meant a lot to hear Robbie say that. To know that even though he didn't always voice it, Robbie did feel that way about him. Just knowing that his son felt as though a day would never come that he wouldn't need him was a comforting thought. He put an arm around Robbie's shoulders gently and kissed the top of his head carefully, Robbie smiled a bit at this, still comforted by such affections, even at his age. "And I'll always be here when you need me." Magnus assured him, he looked Robbie right in the eyes "I might not be able to call you 'My little boy' as I didn't know you that far back. But in a way, that's what I see you as." He smiled wider.

"...Dad..." Robbie felt himself blush at this.

Of course, Magnus knew it was a bit embarrassing to basically be called "Daddy's Little Boy" when you were fifteen years old. Not even a little boy when you met said-'Daddy' for that matter. Yet he still felt that way, whether Robbie liked it or not. In the back of Magnus's mind in fact, had he been given the chance to go back and come to Earth sooner, he'd have found Robbie the first time he was orphaned and adopted him right then and there. But there was no use dwelling on what might have been, what matters is he had him now, and he wasn't going anywhere. "Hate to break it to ye Robbie, but if this were Cybertron, and you were only 'fifteen' years old, you kinda would be a sparkling still." Magnus teased, roughing up his son's hair a bit "Or are you forgetting we age every thousand years?" He questioned.

"Yeah, well I don't." Robbie joked back at him "I'm fifteen and a teenager. I think I hardly qualify for being Daddy's little anything."

"Hate to break it to ye, precious one, but I can call you anything I so choose." Magnus noted, now 'precious one' Robbie had heard before, Magnus called him that on occasion, and he was used to it "Honestly, I can call you 'Precious One' but you're offended when I call you my little boy?" He chuckled lightly, as did Robbie, but then noted "Then again, I didn't have you as a little boy. While on the other hand, you are very precious to me. So I suppose, as you humans would say, there _is_ a difference." He noted.

"Exactly, all parents have some embarrassing nickname they call their kids it seems like." Robbie noted, tilting his head a bit, he stared at Magnus "First few times, I think I wanted to throw something at you for calling me that. But after seven months, I'm kinda used to you calling me it." He shifted a bit, in disbelief at what he was about to say "To tell you the truth Dad, I like you calling me that. It makes me... It makes me feel special." Robbie took a deep breath and looked at him calmly "Just lay off the 'Daddy's Little Boy' thing. For my street cred, at least." He teased.

"Precious one it is then."

Robbie nodded a bit, and leaned back against the seat. He enjoyed moments like these, when it was just the two of them. No one else, no war, no girlfriend, no techno-organics inadvertently wreaking havoc, not even Mirage around. Just him and Magnus, and of course, the open road. A deep breath escaped him and he laid his head against his Father's shoulder, nuzzling a bit into it tiredly. "Love you big guy." He noted, feeling his eyes growing more and more heavy as the drive progressed.

"Love you too son, always."

As Magnus drove on into the night, he felt Robbie carefully fall asleep against him. Eventually, they made their way toward the Space Bridge again. Arriving within close to a half an hour, the normal length of time from the richer side of town back to the Space Bridge. Magnus didn't wake Robbie, only drove through the tarmac and into the base, down the hallways, watching for any humans along the way, and finally coming to a stop in front of his bedroom. He shifted Robbie into his arms carefully, making his way out of his alternate mode, he carried him carefully into the bedroom, careful not to stir the slumbering boy too much.

As he settled Robbie under the covers of his bed, Magnus found it hard to pull away. As watching Robbie sleep was always something that made him smile. He looked so peaceful, calm, and at ease. It was a sign of peace during such a war-filled time that Magnus felt as though he needed to watch him once in a while. Carefully he laid a kiss on top of his son's head, and allowed his holoform to disappear, leaving only the mech in the doorway. He watched again, only for a moment, feeling far more at ease with the boy growing up then he had before that night. He took a deep breath, and smiled gently. "Goodnight Robbie, sweet dreams." He whispered.

In his processor he reassured himself that no matter how old he got, Robbie would always be his 'precious little one'.

...

After the heavy subject matter the last few chapters, I felt a bit more of a happier toned chapter was needed. ;)


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